Silver Sword Chronicles
by NobleVillian
Summary: When Naruto goes in search of Sasuke alone, he quickly finds that it won't be such an easy task when an evil organization begins to hunt him and the fellow Jinchuuriku. With the help of new friends and trusting old allies, he must fight for his life...
1. A New Adventure! Going Solo!

The Hidden Leaf Village lay quietly in a cool mist as the morning dew was just beginning to rise. It had been raining the past three days, but things were finally starting to look better for the small town. The clouds were clearing, sunshine was on its way at last. It was, in esscence, a perfect day.

It was on this day that Naruto Uzamaki received word of a new mission. That morning a messenger of the Fifth Hokage, Tusnade, brought a letter requesting his immediate presence in her office. Naruto quickly replied, anxious to be off on a new mission. Life had been way to boring to suit his tastes the past few days, and this was just the thing he needed. The weather had been intense and had forced him to halt his training untill it passed. Now, on this bright new day, he had his chance.

Now Naruto found himself on the main road of the Hidden Leaf Villiage almost running the Tsunades presence. He had no clue as to what level of mission this might be, only that it would take him somewhere other than where he was right now: complete boredom.

Finally he arrived at the Building high on the cliff above the village where the Hokage had made there homes for decades. Though very old, it was kept in top pristine condition for the selected few who had the privilege to live there. _A privilege I will have someday, _Naruto thought to himself.

He entered the building and walked into Tsunade's office. There the beautiful woman, or disguise of a beautiful woman, he thought, sat reading at the large desk in the middle of the office. Nothing could be seen of her below the desk, nor did Naruto have any interest. His mind was focused solely on this new mission.

"You sent for me, Tsunade?" he asked in an anxious tone. The Fifth Hokage looked up from her reading to see the boy in front of her, after which she immediately put down the book. "Yes I did. Come sit down." Naruto quickly did what she asked of him and took a seat on the other side of the desk from Tsunade.

"First of all," Tsunade began. "After talking to many of the others who are here, we have decided to make you a Chuunin of the Hidden Leaf Village."

Naruto stared in shock for the first second, but slowly the big grin eventually came, and Naruto exploded.

"Yeah! Alright! That's what I'm talking about! Naruto Uzumaki, the Chuunin! Believe it!"

Tsunade sighed. "Calm down. I know your happy but please, I'm not done yet."

The newly appointed Chunin finally sat down, still anxious to hear what was next.

"Ok, sorry. Soooo, what's the mission that I was told about in the letter?"

"That's what I was going to cover before you began acting like a fool, as always…" Tsunade replied. She leaned forward in her chair. "This mission is top secret, at least for now. There have been reports of Sasuke being seen in a Village far on the other side of the country. One of our ANBU are following him as we speak. I want you, since you're the only one Sasuke would even dare to show himself to, to find our ANBU and meet with Sasuke. Use any means necessary to bring him down."

"BRING HIM DOWN? Are you wanting me to kill him!?" Naruto said angrily. "If that's what you want I'm out! I don't care what is wrong with Sasuke, I can't kill him, he's still my friend."

The Hokage nodded. "I know it's hard. But you must understand. This is for the safety of everybody. There is an uncontrollable demon inside of him. Orochimaru wanted it to come out. That's why he put it there. If he is not stopped, the country could be destroyed." Tsunade stood up and propped herself up by placing her hands on the table below her. Both stood quietly for a moment.

"I will let you try everything within your abilities or anything you can muster to save him first. Just whatever you do, make sure he is not a threat anymore." She finally told him.

Naruto put his head down and sighed. "I won't kill him. I will save him. I will do whatever it takes."

Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Naruto. I will inform Sakura.."

"No, don't tell Sakura. I'm doing this alone." Naruto interfered.

"But…why?"

"She will be too caught up in her emotions, she wont be able to act on the matter."

"What about yourself, Naruto?"

"I'll be ok. Don't worry about me." Naruto stood up and walked to the door. Before he left he looked back at Tsunade. "Don't tell anyone about this. It would be better that way. I'll come back, and Sasuke will be better."

"I hope so…?" Tsunade said to herself, but by the time she looked up and Naruto he was already gone.


	2. Ninja of Shidobu: Losing the Rust!

The long voyage to where Sasuke had been sighted began that day, as Naruto wasted no time in leaving. He left immediately after leaving Tsunade's office, as he was cautious not to attract the attention of anybody he knew who might try to put in their word and tag along with him. This was something he needed to do himself. _To prove myself once and for all, that I am good enough, that I am his equal,_ he thought. _This will be my greatest accomplishment._

From the village he traveled south until he reached a small port town. He never got the name, nor did it really matter to him. There he took a boat across the lake to the other side of the country, a part he had never visited before. This was a brand new experience for the newly named Chunin.

Once on the south side of the country, he made his way across the coast to the east until he hit another port city, from there he went south again into a forest. The villages had called this the Shidobu Forest, but that was all the information he had gathered for what lay ahead. He gathered supplies in the village and stayed at an inn, beginning his track through the Shidobu Forest the next morning.

He went alone from this point on, all the men on the boat were going west where he went east. The forest earned the name "Shidobu," as no sunlight whatsoever made it through the treetops down to the ground.

Midday grew near when Naruto arrived at a large clear spot in the forest. He walked slowly into the middle of the spot and examined a mess on the ground.

"Looks like a fire was built here…" here said to himself. "From the looks of it not too long ago either."

He just barely managed to miss the shiruken that flew over his head. His eyes went wide after realizing what just happened. He looked back at where the throwing weapon had came from to see two men standing at the edge of the clearing. Naruto stood up to face the men.

"Hey you! What in the world do you think your doing!? That could have seriously hurt! You better watch where you throwing those things! That almost hit me right in the head!"

One of the men, the taller of the two, wearing a blue ninja robe and clothes, standing almost a foot taller than the other, came forward. "Shut up, little kid."

Naruto blew after that. "Little kid!? I am not a little kid! Your gonna pay for that!"

The other man, the shorter of the two with brown short hair and a green ninja ware on, laughed. "Try us."

Naruto stood up and put his hands together, instantly making hand signs. The signs went together like rhythm and Naruto focused his chakra together. Seconds later his head rose up.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he screamed. Instantly two copies of the young ninja appeared on both sides of the real thing, each exactly the same as the original.

The tall ninja got a confused look on his face as he saw three copies of the boy instead of one. "Shadow Clones?" he said. "Kid's got some talent." The man put up his hands and created the signs in ninjutsu.

"Long range attack! Beam Jutsu!"

Out of the mans hands shot a beam of chakra at the nartuo in the middle. The beam hit with force and went straight through the body, which erupted in a cloud of smoke. The smoke shimmered at ground level and slowly rose up, leaving two Naruto still standing.

"You missed!" Together they shouted in unison. "Now its my turn!"

Both Narutos shot forward to attack the tall ninja, leaping foreward and gliding through the air. Both pulled out shirukens and prepared to throw.

The two mystery ninjas braced their selves for an attack, each pulling out their knives as a counter to the shirukens. "Which one is he? That's the only question…" the shorter one said.

"Take this!" Both Narutos screamed as they launched their shirukens at the ninja. The weapons screamed through the air at the enemies, but both blocked the shirukens with little effort. But their guards were down for just that split second…

Both Narutos screamed through the air and rushed towards the ninjas. At last the clash arrived. The taller ninja sliced through the boy only to find a flash of smoke and nothing there. The shorter one did the same, leaving only a cloud of smoke.

"But wait! He only made two clones, and one was already destroyed! How is this possible?" The taller one said.

"Like this!" Naruto screamed from the side. Before the ninjas had time to turn around the boy launched a kick into the shorter mans face, sending him flying into the taller ninja, and therefore sending both of them flying backwards.

Naruto landed and began running at the for one final attack. "I can make my clones look like anything and you fell for it!" He said. Then he pulled his hand near is body and closed his fist. Instantly chakra appeared and began radiating outward.

The shorter ninja looked up at the charging boy and the power flowing from his hand.

"We're done for! Look at this kid!" A look of astonishment engulfed his face. The taller ninja looked up and immediately became engrossed with the same look.

"We picked the wrong kid to mess with! The boss told us he wouldn't be a threat!"

Naruto jumped into the air and raised his charging fist, now filled with the bright blue chakra. "Rasengan!" he yelled. "Don't ever mess with me!"

He came down and swung the chakra fist right into the body of the taller ninja. An explosion shot up and dust covered the entire clearing. After it cleared, the smaller ninja could be seen running back to where he came as fast as he could.

Naruto stood up and wiped the dust from his clothes and hair. "That will teach'em." He said to himself. He continued wiping off his hands when another voice shot from behind them.

"That was impressive. Now show that to me again."


	3. Mysterioius Fan: A New Companion!

Naruto turned around at the sound of the voice, landing in attack stance. The man, no, the boy, looked at him with an intense vision. He was not quite an adult, but close. More like late teens. He wore red all over, including a red cape, and black long pants. He had a sword strapped to his back. From what Naruto had seen, it was a very impressive weapon. He was a little more than average in height, probably six feet, and average weight. His silver hair flowed in the wind.

"Who taught you that, kid?" he asked Naruto. "Show me that again. That was impressive."

Naruto pulled out another shiruken and stood poised, ready to throw.

The other guy laughed. "Hey, hey! Calm down, kid! I'm not gonna hurt you!"

Naruto reluctantly stood up and put the shiruken up. "Who are you? How long have you been watching me? Are you a pervert?

The man laughed. "No, no! I just saw you having your way with those guys on the battlefield. I didn't want to interrupt you." He walked up to Naruto and extended his hand. "I'm Blayne. Blayne Gallione. Nice to meet you."

Naruto accepted his handshake. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. From the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Nice to meet you, Naruto." Blayne walked over to the body of the tall ninja's body lying on the ground. "He's definitely dead. You did a number on him. How old are you, Naruto?"

"I'm 14."

Blayne looked at him in astonishment. "14? Damn that's impressive. Amazing actually. Very strong for being so young.""

"Thanks…How old are you?" He replied. ""You don't don't look that old yourself."

Blayne looked at him. "I'm 20. I would say I've been doing pretty well as a hired hand for being so young." He picked up the body of the dead ninja and walked over to the edge of the clearing and threw it in the bushes. "So where are you headed to?" He asked Naruto.

"I'm going south, to the far south country, to meet somebody." Naruto said, not wanting to reveal too much to somebody he had just met.

"Do you think I could travel with you to the nearest town? It gets pretty lonely going alone."

Naruto thought about Blayne's request. There was something about this guy. He liked the guy, or at least what he had seen of him. If something were to happen, he could easily get away from the trouble. Plus he was curious.

"Ok, you can come with me. Your right it would be nice to have somebody to talk to."

Blayne smiled. "Ok. Great. Shall we get going then?

The two new companions began walking immediately. It was already mid-afternoon when they started walking. Blayne informed Naruto that they wouldn't be able to make to the town, known as Toma, by the end of the day, so they should just take their time and walk.

They walked on for a bit in silence. By that evening they finally escaped the Shidobu Forest. With a sigh of relief Naruto sat down by a tree at the edge of the forest. "I'm worn out."

Blayne smiled at him. "Already? We've only been walking a few hours."

"Well you didn't fight two stupid ninjas. I shouldn't have wasted that much energy on a Rasengan on those losers."

Blayne put down his small bag and sat down near a rock about ten feet away from Naruto. "Ok. We'll rest for a bit here. Do you want any food?" Blayne pulled out some apples and tossed one to Naruto, who immediately devoured the fruit.

"Thanks! That helped a lot." He said after he was finished. They sat in silence for a half an hour, enjoying the mild temperature and sunshine. Naruto took this time to study his new travel partner. Obviously there was something more to him than what could be seen. What was it though? No matter how much the boy thought about it, nothing came to mind. The only way he would figure it out would be to travel with him. Eventually he would slip or something would happen. Then he would figure out the secret behind this mysterious man.

"We should get moving. I want to get away from Shidobu as soon as possible."

Naruto nodded. "Ok, let's go."

They put their backpacks on and began walking once more. The sun was on the horizon now, no more than an hour from darkness. They picked up their pace for the last hour, trying to get away from the forest like Blayne suggested.

They continued on until dark, where they found themselves in a large field. The city could be seen miles away, but neither were willing to walk that far in the dark, so the made camp by a lone tree and built a fire. Food was set out for both and they enjoyed the warm meal. They talked to each other about random subjects until late night, and then went to sleep.

It was still dark when Naruto woke up.

"What was that noise?!" He said.

Blayne woke up and looked around. "What's that noise?"

"Yea…somebody is coming."

The two got up and looked around. The scream came again from the north and Shidobu forest. Naruto readied his knife and looked into the darkness. The scream has stopped, but footsteps could be heard now.

"Get ready..." Naruto said softly.

"There they are!" Blayne said. Then he saw it. A figure could be seen running towards their camp from the darkness. The seconds passed on and the figure drew closer.

"Look behind her!" Naruto said. "He's being chased!"

Blayne nodded. "Plus he is a she!"


	4. Save me! Damsel in Distress!

The girl ran at Naruto and hid behind him. Naruto turned around and put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey there, little girl! What's going on here?"

"I don't think we have time to worry about that right now." Blayne said. "Looks like they want her pretty badly.

Naruto turned back around. "Then we're gonna stop them!"

He put his hands together and began to charge. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he said. Instantly clones appeared, this time instead of three Naruto, there were ten.

"Now let's go!" The group of clones yelled all at once. They began their charge at the opposing group of pursuers. Blayne looked on and sighed. "Doesn't look like he thinks very much. There are at least 20 of those guys." He looked at the girl, who was standing alone with a deep look in her eyes. "Stay here." He caught her attention. "We'll take care of this.

The Naruto clones rushed the charging group and began a series of hand to hand combat, Each one striking and parrying attacks. These men were much more skilled than the two whom he had fought in the forest, that was for sure. The clones couldn't do any damage, they just took up space. Slowly they began to disappear, whittling down the number back to the original Naruto. He had chosen to brawl with a decent sized man. He was skilled in hand to hand combat, but not very fast. Naruto took quick advantage of that as he jumped in mid air and kicked the man in the neck, knocking him out immediately.

From there he moved on to the next victim. This one was smaller but much faster, and the fight lasted longer than before. Naruto parried the swift but ineffective attacks for bit, then finally found a weak spot. Once the man punched at his face, he quickly ducked down and kicked him straight up into the air, then jumped up and hammered him back into the ground.

By now all the clones were gone and Naruto was beginning to tire. He fought on bravely, but their numbers were too big. One man caught him with a body shot and sent him flying backwards. Another unsheathed a sword and prepared for a final blow at the neck. He held the sword up high and swung down at Naruto, but the sword was caught by another. Naruto looked up to see Blayne, his crimson bladed sword defending.

The armed man began to focus on Blayne as Naruto went back to work fighting the others. The fight continued on for another few minutes. Eventually Naruto retreated back to their encampment. Blayne jumped back and stood by him.

"This is getting us nowhere." Naruto said.

"You should have thought about that before you went barging in with shadow clones. You should know that those things are worthless when it comes to actually fighting."

Naruto looked annoyed. "I know what my limits are! I'm perfectly aware of my strengths. You just worry about yours! Where were you at when I was fighting huh?"

"I was running to save you." He replied. "Here they come. Stand back, Naruto."

"STAND BACK?! Are you crazy?"

"Just do it!"

Naruto reluctantly took a step back. The young girl came up and stood beside him. Blayne stood facing the wall of enemies, now down to around a dozen or so. He sheathed his sword and put his hands together. Chants began coming from his mouth and hand signals were formed.

At last Blayne ended. "False attack! Illusion Sword Jutsu!"

Quickly he unsheathed his sword again and held it out in front of him. Chakra from his body began flowing through him visibly; From his mid-torso to his shoulders, arms, and at last hands. From his hands the Chakra forced itself into the sword, causing a bluish whirlwind to flow around it.

Blayne began to swing the sword in midair, seemingly at nothing.

"What is he doing?" Naruto asked himself. "He looks like a lunatic out there. Those guys are still fifty feet away."

But suddenly he saw. Those men fifty feet away began falling left and right, some getting large gashes or cuts. Blayne continued swingings his sword and the men kept falling.

Naruto began focusing a little more on what was happening. Then he saw it. Waves of air, no chakra, were thrusting into the bodies of those men out there. Could he really be using his sword to literally launch his chakra into those men from that far off?

Blayne kept swinging, now with more aggression. Finally he jumped into the air and launched a massive downswing into the ground. The blast radiated through the air, this time easily visible, and right into the remaining men. All of them were on the ground now.

Blayne sheathed his sword again and turned around to Naruto. "They won't be getting up." He walked back to Naruto and the girl. "Can you please explain what happened here?"

The girl sat down on the ground by the once kindled fire. "You might as well sit down too. This could take awhile."


	5. In it for the Long Run: Konton's Quest!

The girl stood a little shorter than Naruto, average height for a girl, and was blessed with long black hair. She wore a blue, skin-tight shirt and black pants. Bracelets lay on both wrists. She was a beautiful person if there ever was one.

"I am Konton. Iwork for a group of researchers." She began. "We are called the _Eisei Fushi._ We research chakra and how to manipulate it."

"I've heard of them. " Blayne said.

"Yes, we're beginning to become more widely known now."

"Well what does _Eisei Fushi do?" _ Naruto asked.

"We research chakra and try to manipulate it to do more specific things such as healing."

"Don't ninjas do that anyways?" Naruto asked again.

"Yes they do. But we are attempting such feats at a much stronger level. Anyways, we recently had once of our ninjas who work for us stumble upon a cave. He searched it for days and found a spring of red chakra flowing from the ground. From the planet! Can you believe it?"

"Red Chakra?!" Naruto outbursted.

Konton smiled. "Yes, and I know what you are thinking. Just let me get to that." She replied. "So this chakra was found and brought to our main base and researched. Turns out it comes from a demon."

"A demon in the planet? How is that possible?" Naruto asked.

"It actually makes sense." Blayne said. "I mean, the planet is alive, so it makes sense there is chakra flowing from it. But red chakra? Wouldn't that mean the planet is sick or something?"

Konton nodded. "That is what we believe too. When we went back for more samples, the cave reacted. It was a disaster. The end result: the cave sealed itself off! But we were determined. So we decided to search for red chakra elsewhere."

"That's why those guys attacked me! They worked for this company!" Naruto said.

"Yes. After research on red chakra, we found that it was indeed demon chakra. We looked for a month until we heard rumors of the Nine-Tailed Fox in your body. Teams were immediately sent out to search for you. They sent an entire squad to your village."

"That would mean the hidden leaf village is in danger! I have to do something about it!" Naruto stood up and began running immediately.

"And what do you plan on doing about it?" Blayne shouted at him from behind, causing Naruto to stop running.

"I'm going to stop them!"

"Not alone you won't. They sent over twice as many as there were chasing me, or more." Konton said.

"Then what are we going to do?!"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Blayne said. He shifted his focus to the girl. "Why were they chasing you, anyways?"

"Oh…well…"

"Well what?" Naruto shouted.

The girl stood up and put her left hand out in front of her, palm up facing the sky. Her head faced the ground and she began to hum. Naruto and Blayne watched the girl patiently. Finally energy exploded from her hands. Chakra began swirling up into a ball, just like Narutos Rasengan. Only this one was red.

"You have it to?!" Naruto shouted.

She lost focus and returned to normal. "Yes, I have it too. When I was little, I stumbled onto a spring in the woods by my house. A demon lived there, known as Akuma. He took the from of a little girl and played with me. I didn't realize what he was, until I was twelve. My village was attacked by thieves and bandits. Nobody could stop them. It was a complete surprise attack. But Akuma, he jumped into my soul and unleashed his powers through my body. I saved the town, but they considered me a demon themselves. So I left. I hid my powers and began working to support myself. Eventually they offered me a job at _Eisei Fushi_. Once they discovered my powers, they wanted me too. I ran. And that's how I made it here."

"Amazing." Blayne said. "I've been thrown into this battle…guess I have no choice."

"So what are we going to do?" Naruto asked. "I have to go save my friends!"

Konton nodded her head no. "They will get you if we go there, and I'm sure they don't want to just be you friend. You should do what you intended to do. Stay out of there. If they find out your not there, they might leave your village alone."

"What were you doing out here anyways?" Blayne asked. "You never exactly told me in the first place."

Naruto sighed. "A while back my…rival, Sasuke, left in vengeance and went off to seek the demon Orochimaru's power. He has been seen in the far South from time to time. I'm going to try and save him, by order of the Fifth Hokage."

"Are you talking about Uchiha?" Konton asked.

"Yea…that's him."

"He was spotted near our headquarters."

"Really?! Then let's get going! I have to save him!"

Blayne sighed. "I don't think your going to persuade him otherwise. We might as well go with him. All of us together should be able to handle anything right?"

Konton nodded. "This kid is unlike anything I've ever seen. I'm gonna follow him for sometime. I can't let him get captured by _Eisei Fushi_."

Naruto ran off and his two new companions followed quickly. This was the start of a new adventure for him. His old friends weren't here. All he had was these two. This would be unlike anything he had ever faced before.

He smiled at that thought. All the better.


	6. Look Out! Attack on the Village!

"Is everything ready?" the man asked.

The other nodded. "Yes, sir! Everyone is ready to proceed."

Giman stood up from the tree he was propped against and followed the robed man. He was a very large man, but all muscle. Standing well over six feet, he was by far the biggest man in the camp, perhaps yet another reason everyone respected him, or feared him was more likely. He wore large leather boots, heavy, padded pants, and an very large, black overcoat. On his back was an axe bigger than most humans.

Giman walked into the camp to find everyone standing in attention. They were all hired hands, all skilled in the Ninja arts, and all dangerous. Giman counted as he walked: twenty, forty, sixty, eighty………two hundred armed men ready for action.

The other robed figure stopped and stood firm. "We are ready for your word. Give us the command and we will attack."

Giman nodded. "Excellent, Mani, you have done well."

The big man knew nothing of why they were doing what they were doing, only that it was the largest paying job he had seen in years. Two weeks ago, a high ranking man from the _Eisei Fushi_ company offered him more money than he could refuse. His mission was to employ a small army of ninjas and take hostage the Hidden Leaf Village of Konoha. Nobody ever game him a reason, just a very large sum of money. That was all he needed. After all, he was a mercenary.

"All right, men! Let's go and earn that money! Remember the orders: as few deaths as possible. We are only taking the city hostage! Our target: Naruto Uzumaki, a blonde twerp who is very valuable to our employer ALIVE. Do not kill anyone else unless there is resistance. Do you all understand?"

"Yes, sir!" came the reply from the crowd.

"Then let's move out!" Giman yelled.

The crowd of ninjas began their march into the Hidden Leaf Village.

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Sakura sat in the garden, staring at the beautiful sky that lay overhead. The days had been beautiful for almost a week now. She picked up a flower and held it up above her head. It was pink, perfectly matching her hair. She smiled and put it on top of her ear, blending it with her hair.

Despite the relaxation, Sakura was still worried. It had been four days since anyone had last seen Naruto. He had disappeared without a trace right under everyone's noses, and nobody seemed to know where he had ran off to. She had even been worried enough to ask Tsunade, but all she said was that he probably ran off for awhile on one of his crazy antics and would be back when he wants to be back. Despite this, she still worried for the boy, one of her best friends and teammates now…

She sat up instantly when she heard the noise. Somebody was screaming. Quickly she jumped to her feet and ran to where she heard the screams. What could be wrong? A fire? No, there would have been smoke, obviously. A robbery? Perhaps, but not too many people attempted to rob ninjas, or anyone around ninjas for that matter.

She ran through the city and arrived on the edge of town. Men came from out of the woods in what seemed like an endless barrage. They were attacking anyone who got in their way. Sakura's eyes opened wide.

"What in the world is this?!" she heard somebody yell from behind her. She turned around long enough to see the steady face of Shikamaru standing beside her.

"I don't know…they just came from nowhere. I heard screams and I ran here to see what was happening."

"This is insane." Shika said to himself. Then he snapped out of the temporary daze of amazement. "I'll stay here and help as many as I can. You go get Tsunade. We have to assemble the ANBU."

Sakura nodded. "Ok. Don't get yourself killed though, Shikamaru."

He sighed. "I'm too lazy to write my will, so I cant die yet. Just go."

Sakura silently turned around and began running towards the center of the city.

"Now, let's find out what is up with these guys." Shika said to himself. He turned and ran to the left around a building, trying to stay out of their attention span and line of sight. He walked silently to the other side and peeked his head around the corner to examine.

"That is weird." He said quietly. "They aren't killing anybody. They just throw them aside…like they are looking for something…"

He watched the small army march foreword. He noticed that no more were coming from the trees now. He made a quick estimated count of the enemy: around two-hundred. He stood patiently, waiting for the right moment, watching the men march foreword. Then it happened at last. A noise was made on the other side, causing all the men to look the other way, giving Shikamaru his chance. He quickly sprinted across the street behind the other building.

There he entered a door and found himself inside a house. It was two stories and very nice. He made a quick note to figure out who lived in this house if he lived through this. Shika noticed the stairs on the left side and jumped up them to the top floor. He chose a door which lead to a bedroom. There he went to a door on the other side of the bedroom.

On the other side of the door was a balcony. _Just as I had planned, _Shika thought. He looked down at the army below him and ducked to keep from being seen. He looked up at the sun to see its location. It lay behind him, shadows covering the army that passed by. Shikamaru smiled.

He quietly put his hands together and his head down to concentrate. He waited as the army marched onward. Finally the end of the army passed the balcony Shikamaru stood on. His head went up as he found his target: a long soldier who was bringing up the rear. He pushed his hands out a bit and launched his attack.

"Shadow possession Jutsu!" he whispered. Quickly his jutsu moved invisibly through the shadows until it came upon the lonely soldier Shikamaru and targeted. The man stopped in mid stride and froze instantly. Shikamaru walked backwards into the house, causing the man to imitate his movements and walk back near the walls of the house on the lower level.

He waited until the army was almost out of sight before he ran outside and jumped off the balcony, landing cat-like on his feet. Then he turned and approached the frozen man, who was now staring at him in fear, knowing this was what had happened to him. Shikamaru grabbed the man's hands and tied them up behind his back with a rope he found laying beside him. He checked the knots to make sure they would hold. Once he found them suitable to his tastes, he ended the jutsu and led the man back into the house.

He sat the man down on a chair and pulled out his knife. "Now, your going to inform me what is going on here."

The man sat in fear. "We don't even know what is going on here!" he said, terrified of what might be to come.

"What does that mean?"

"We were just hired under Giman. We were told to take the Hidden Leaf Village Hostage! That's all I know, I swear!"

Shikamaru sighed. "That helped a lot. Why would they want us hostage? Are they looking for somebody?" He thought for a moment longer, then suddenly grabbed the man and threw him back on his feet.

"Alright, you're coming with me." He led the man with him out the door.

"Where are you taking me?" he man asked tentatively.

_This guy is embarrassing. How did he get hired?_ Shikamaru thought.

"We're going to see our leader."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsunade looked up at the sight of Sakura barging into her office. "What is wrong with you? Can't you learn to knock?"

Sakura was breathing hard. "No time. We're being attacked!"

The Hogake's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"Just follow me!"

Tsunade jumped from her seat and followed the girl out to her balcony. All of the village could be seen from there. The first thing she noticed was the smoke rising from a building to the right. Men were rampaging the streets and injuring citizens. Carnage was spread all across the village. The sight was horrifying.

"Look there! At the main road!" Sakura pointed out.

She moved her eyes from the burning building to the road Sakura motioned for. In the center, moving toward her, was a giant group of men, all marching simultaneously.

"What in the world is going on here?" She said quietly, watching what was unfolding before her eyes.

"Shikamaru is down there watching. What if they have him? We have to do something!"

Tsunade sighed. "We couldn't get down there right now if we wanted to. Those men are blocking the only road to the city. We wouldn't get past them."

"Lord Hokage!" Came a voice from behind them. Tsunade and Sakura turned around. A group of ANBU were standing and waiting at the balcony door. At the head of them were two familiar faces: Kakashi and Rock Lee.

Sakura smiled. "You two are all right!"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, but we're not out of the storm yet. Those guys are approaching quickly. I take it they want to speak with you, Tsunade."

Tsunade looked back at the army. "I hope they just want to speak. What is going on exactly anyways."

Lee caught everyone's attention. "This is a very rare sight, indeed, Lady Tsunade. It appears that the enemy troops are not killing anybody. They are only attacking those who attack them first."

"That is strange indeed…" She said quietly. She looked up at everyone else around her. "Prepare to meet them. Watch my back at all times. Have an escape route ready incase they become violent. I want to know what they want from us." She looked at Sakura. "In my bedroom is a tunnel which I use as an emergency escape route. When you arrive at the bottom, take a left. That will lead you back into the village. Find anyone you can and get them out of the city."

"Where are we supposed to go once we escape?"

"I really don't know…" She thought for a second. "There is another small village about a days travel to the north of here. Go there and stay. If we do not come for you in three days, come back here and see what has happened."

Sakura nodded. "Alright." She ran back inside and left without another word.

Tsunade looked at Kakashi and the others. "Now, everyone, let's go inside and see what happens."


	7. Plans Revealed! Gimans True Intentions

Giman opened the door with his free hand and walked into the large building that sat high above all the others in the city. In his right hand rested his axe, ready for use, thought he doubted that would come to play anytime soon. Only ten soldiers followed him into the building; the rest stayed behind, as there was no need for anymore to enter. _This shouldn't take too long._ Giman thought to himself.

He followed the paths up to a large double door room where he swung open both with one hand. He walked inside with a forceful presence and the men with him scattered about the room around him. Inside he saw a woman, seemingly middle aged, sitting at her desk alone. Her head was tilted back and laying on her arms, which were placed behind her. She stared at Giman with an intense look him her eyes.

"What can I help you with?" she said sarcastically.

"Are you the leader of this Village? The Hokage?" He asked her impatiently.

"That is me. I am Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, and that is all you need to know." She smiled at him as the last words rolled off of her tongue.

Giman sensed the sarcasm and put his axe down on the ground. "This city is under OUR martial law. You are our hostages. We will let you go when we have gotten what it is we want."

"And what might that be?" Tsunade asked.

"We are here under orders and payment of the _Eisei Fushi_ company. We are here for a boy that lives here. The boy with the Red Chakra."

On the inside, Tsunade snapped. _What would they want with Naruto? They want his powers too, that would be the only reason._ She thought.

"That's odd. I don't remember anybody here having Demon Chakra. You must have made a mistake."

Giman picked up his axe and swung it in front of him, the swing knocking over pictures and items from Tsunade's desk.

"Don't play stupid with me, woman! I know he is here! Where is he?"

"Actually, your wrong." A voice said. Kakashi appeared from the right side of the room. "He isn't here."

Rock Lee appeared from the opposite side of the room, and the ANBU came from the balcony entrance behind her.

Giman put his axe back down. "Then where is he?"

"We don't know." Tsunade said. "He left almost five days ago."

Giman smiled an evil smile. "Where was he sent to?

"We wouldn't give you that information on our death beds." Lee said to him. "We will be dead before that happens."

"Your making this very hard on me. I only want to know where the boy is at."

"Why do you want him?" Tsunade asked.

Giman shrugged. "Beats me. I'm just getting payed to bring him to _Eisei Fushi_."

"_Eisei Fushi_?" Kakashi said. "They are the Chakra research facility who is rumored to be making weapons. High powered weapons."

"Seems that one has done his homework." Giman said. He took his axe and placed it over his back. "Looks like you guys will be sitting here awhile. The kid is from here obviously. So were going to be living here for a bit. He will come back, eventually." He smiled at the last words.

Tsunade looked at the man. This was the last thing they needed, and this would never do. They had to find someway to get Naruto's attention and resuce him before this company could get a hold of him. She had to find a way to escape this.

_Sakura!_ She thought. Sakura is already on her way out. She will be able to do something about it. But she had informed Sakura to wait for her or somebody else. If they couldn't make it, then what? She had to find some way to send word to Sakura on what she had to do.

She looked around the room. Kakashi and Rock Lee stood on both sides of her. She looked at Kakashi deeply, trying to get his attention. _This will be a one time shot._ She thought to herself.

She finally caught the Junin's attention. He examined her thoroughly, trying to understand the look in her eyes.

At last he nodded.

"Of course you guys won't be leaving here, either. We cant have anybody escaping with the news." Giman said.

Tsunade smiled. "No, we wouldn't want that at all."

Without warning she jumped up and tossed a bomb at the giant mercenary. It exploded on contact and burst into smoke, which covered the room quickly.

Giman shouted and began rampaging everywhere. "What is this? Everyone get them! Kill them all!" He had lost his temper. He pulled out his axe and screamed a battle cry.

Tsunade looked back at Kakashi. "Quickly! Go!" she told him.

Kakashi nodded and jolted left. He bumped Lee sideways and grabbed his arm as he ran by. "This way!"

Lee followed him and together the two ran past Giman and his Ninjas before they ever noticed.

Tsunade ran to the ANBU on the balcony, who had already armed their selves and were ready for battle. "This will not be pretty." She told them. She turned around and looked off the balcony at the city below. "I hope this works."

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Shikamaru stopped and hid behind a building when he saw the smoke exiting from the building.

"What in the world…" he looked back at the man he had taken prisoner. He was still tied up and afraid for his life, following Shikamaru out of fear more than anything.

"What is that?" Shika asked him.

The man shrugged. "I don't know. Our leader probably got mad."

"Your leader?"

"His name is Giman. He is one of the most wanted Mercenaries around. Very hard to buy out."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Well isn't that great? I'm dealing with a Mercenary. Plus he has an army of Ninjas under him. What am I doing?"

He turned and looked back towards the other side of town. It was completely empty, a sight he had never seen before in his life. Then he looked back at the building high up that Tsunade was in. She was in obvious danger, but what help could he really give her? She would want him to escape and get help for the village. What if everyone else was captured? Then somebody would have to make it out. If he was the only one left…

"Sorry, Hokage." He said silently. Then he turned around to the man. "I'll give you two options. Since you're a mercenary, loyalty probably isn't a lot to you. What is your name?"

"Toya." The man answered. "I am a Ninja mercenary myself. If you want me to work for you, I will…" he said.

Shikamaru, for the first time, closely examined the man. He was a bit shorter than him, but a little heavier. He wore knives on his waist and a shot sword on his back. He had black hair that approached his neck and bangs that covered his eyes were moved to the side. He seemed armed and dangerous enough, but the man was overawed by Shikamaru's Shadow Possession. Perhaps, still, he could be of use to him…

"Why is it you offer your services so willingly?" he asked Toya.

"You had me captured with your Jutsu. You could have killed me, but you didn't. It's a mercenary honor. If your live is saved, you owe your savior service. You saved me, so I am yours to command."

Shikamaru smiled. "That works for me, but i'm still not going to untie you until we get out of the city, just for safety measures."

Toya nodded. "I understand."

"Then let's get out of here."

The two began to run back towards to edge of the city.


	8. Don't Rest Yet! Shikamaru to the Rescue!

The tunnel began to wind down as Sakura tried desperately to keep on her feet. She had been running nonstop since Tsunade gave her orders. The tunnel seemed endless to her, but she refused to stop. She couldn't let Shikamaru or the others down.

At last she found the end of the tunnel and a door. She opened it quickly, anxious to leave the rotten smell and small enclosure. On the other side of the door she found she was inside a small room, probably a basement, she guessed. Immediately she noticed a doorway up a small flight of stairs. She ran for the stairs and began to ascend.

The door lead her to a large room, probably the living quarters of a house. She ran through them to a door on the other side and exited. At last, she was outside.

The first thing she heard was screams. Sakura immediately turned and ran west. As she ran the screams continued. She ran around the corner of the building and saw three children. They were being interrogated by the guards, it seemed.

Without thinking she immediately pulled out a shiruken and threw it at the closest ninja. It flew through the air with deadly precision and stabbed its target directly in the ninja's upheld arm. The ninja yelled in pain for a second, while the other two looked over to see where the weapon came from.

The larger one smiled at the sight of Sakura. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he said. "You're a pretty little thing aren't you?"

The injured man pulled the shiruken out and threw it on the ground, then together the three men began walking towards Sakura.

Sakura began to back up as she pulled out another shiruken and threw is at the men. This one, however, was blocked and bounced off to the side. Then she rushed all three enemies. Before they knew what to do, two of the ninjas were already on the ground and Sakura was aiming at the third one. He blocked her attacks and the two began a round of hand-to-hand combat.

At first the battle was even. Sakura launched a series of body punches to the man, who countered back with a raging uppercut which Sakura barely managed to avoid. She fought back by spinning all the way around and jabbed the ninja in the mouth, but no serious damage was done.

The fight continued for about one minute before the other two ninjas rose to their feet and approached the battle. Sakura continued to attack at the man, not knowing the other two were approaching from behind. She stuck at him with a series of lunging punches. The man fell backwards in defense, causing Sakura to lose her balance and fall, in which he immediately rolled behind her and grabbed her arms.

"Now, little girl." The other two ninjas circled around to stand in front of her. She fought desperately against the man, but no amount of energy could cause him to release his grip.

The large Ninja walked directly in front of her. "You shouldn't have attacked us like that. It was a very foolish mistake." He reached back and sent an uppercut directly into Sakura's stomach. Her eyes went wide on contact. It took everything she had to keep from screaming on impact.

"Never mess with us, girl! We're bad news!" He punched her again. This time there was nothing she could do. She released a scream so loud even Naruto could have heard it, or so it seemed. Tears began to crawl down her face. She had never felt a blow like that one.

"Shut up, girl!" He said. He raised his hand up again and made a fist. Then he yelled and began to swing.

But this time, the hand froze in mid-air.

"What is this?" He exclaimed upon sight of what had happened. "I can't move!"

"And you won't be able to either for as long as I want to keep it that way."

Sakura managed to look up just long enough to see Shikamaru standing tall at the street corner. She managed to crack a smile on her face before she finally passed out.

The other two ninjas stood watching in awe as Shikamaru held his curse upon their leader.

"Drop the girl and run away." He told them. "And I will let him go."

The frozen man laughed. "We're not letting her go. Come take her."

Shikamaru smiled. "Very well then. Toya!

The men stood for a second as nothing happened. Then the man on the left went white and immediately fell to the ground. From behind him came the smiling face of Toya. By the time the other knew what was happening, Toya was already on him. The rogue Ninja swung his leg under the man and caused him to fall to the ground, dropping Sakura immediately after hitting the ground. Without hesitation he grabbed the girl and ran back to where Shikamaru was standing. He layed her down and stood up by his new boss.

"Good job, Toya." He told him. Shikamaru had learned immediately after their agreement that Toya was a very capable ninja. His skills were very advanced, thought he seemed to lack a mental toughness that was required to be a ninja. Shikamaru had found no trouble with him, though, as of yet, and was glad he was now an ally.

The other ninjas were quickly back to their feet, and their faces gave no impression of trying to hide their anger.

Shikamaru finally collapsed his hands and released his control over the leaders body. They had accomplished what they set out for, so keeping the leader frozen was no longer needed.

The leaders body collapsed on the ground after he spell was released, but he quickly regained his feet and took his spot back by his subordinates.

"You may have gotten the girl back, but you made a big mistake letting me go. Now its your turn for some punishment!" He made a nod at the other two and the trio began to charge Shikamaru and Toya.

The two pulled out their weapons and positioned themselves to take the attack head on. The men ran at full speed, ready to attack at any second. At last they got into range and jumped into the air.

"Toya!" Shikamaru yelled.

Toya nodded and placed his hands together, quickly making sybols and chanting.

"As silent as death! Stealth Jutsu!"

Without warning, Toya disappeared, leaving Shikamaru standing alone. He pulled out three shirukens and threw them at the oncoming ninjas, who easily deflected them back.

"Perfect."

One of the ninja feel down to the ground with force. Suddenly Toya appeared behind them. He hit another in his stomach, causing him to fall as well, leaving only the lead ninja to take on Shikamaru.

He arrived with force as the hand to hand battle began. Shikamaru dodged a blow to the head that would have ended the battle and countered with a chop to the stomach, causing the ninja to flinch slightly. Shika recognized his chance and immediately sent an uppercut into the mans face, knocking him down. Toya then came up from behind and send a downward kick directly into his stomach, knocking him out cold.

"That should do it." Shikamaru said. "We should take her and get out of the city as quick as possible."

Toya nodded. "As you say."

Shika turned around to pick up Sakura, and the two began to run out of the city.

Tsunade stood still as the ninja cuffed her hands together, her head down facing the ground. The ANBU had fought good. Nine of the men were killed, but there were simply too many of them to be taken by five men. Now two of her allies were dead, and the remaining four were being taken prisoner.

She pondered what was to become of their fate. More than likely, they were going to be help prisoner and used as bait for Naruto when he returned. Everything was going their way right now. She had to do something to change that. But what could she do? She was a prisoner now with no freedom whatsoever. At least Kakashi and Lee had escaped. Perhaps they would go find Naruto and be able to help the village.

"Alright, time to go." The man holding onto her turned her around and began to lead her downstairs.

She glanced out the window just in time to catch the sight of two figures fleeing into the forest.


	9. Objective Set! Adventure to the South!

Naruto yawned.

"I'm tired."

"Tired? We've only been walking for a few hours. You need to get into shape." Konton said.

"What are you talking about? I'm in great shape!" Naruto shot back.

"Calm down, you two. You guys haven't stopped fighting since we left Dubai." Blayne commented.

The group had left Dubai, the town they had rested in after their encounter with _Eisei Fushi_. There they rented a room and rested throughout that day and the next night, then left the next day. They journeyed south through more fields the entire morning. Naruto noticed they were rice fields, which had made him hungry, which started the never-ending arguments among Konton and Naruto. It was past midday now and they were beginning to exit the fields and approach a seemingly endless sight of small foothills.

"So where are we supposed to be going exactly?" Konton asked.

"All Tsunade told me was that he was spotted in a village far to the south. So I'm heading south."

"Did you say Tsunade?" Blayne asked.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Tsunade the S-class?"

"Who else would I be talking about, dummy?" Naruto said.

"Well I was just making sure!" he replied. "I want to meet her."

Naruto grinned. "Why would that be, Blayne?"

"Well," he said. "I want to play a few rounds with her." He smiled.

"What? She's the Hokage! She doesn't gamble anymore!"

"It would just be for fun!" he said. "Plus I would really like to get my hands on her healing techniques."

"So you would challenge her to a gambling contest for her skills?" Konton asked.

"Perhaps…" he said. "But anyways, we need to figure out exactly where we are going."

"All I know is I'm going south. Have you ever been this way before?" Naruto asked.

"A few times." Blayne said. "The largest city is known as Galia. It's one of the biggest cities there are. Around the city are many small villages and hamlets, so it could be any number of places your friend was spotted."

"Do you know where your ANBU is going to be?" Konton asked.

"Not a clue. I, uhh, kinda ran off before she could give me any details as to where I was supposed to go."

Konton sighed. "You're a smart one."

"Well I didn't want to get anyone involved from my village. This is my fight."

"So we're stuck out here and we don't know anything except we have to go south." Blayne put his head down. "At least he was kind enough to give us that much."

"Well if you know where everything is then get us there!" Naruto said.

"That's the problem. We don't know where you want to go."

Naruto growled. "I don't know. Just get us to Galia. We can figure it out from there."

Blayne smiled. "Good thinking. I was waiting to see how long it took you to say that."

Naruto frowned on his reply, but chose to keep his mouth shut. Blayne continued. "We will go south through these foothills until we encounter a lake. From there we should be able to find a ferry across the lake and down a river, which should lead us straight to Galia. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect to me. I'm tired of walking."

Konton laughed. "Naruto, our lazy leader, speaks his mind."

"Not funny, Konton!"

Blayne chuckled. "It kinda is."

Naruto sighed. "Let's keep walking!"

Both of them were laughing now. "As you say, leader."

The trek continued on for the remainder of the day. Naruto finally got his request and they took a break during the mid-afternoon. They stopped under a large tree and ate and rest, then continued on. They kept walking through the foothills until dusk, when they walked up one hill and looked down upon a very large valley.

"What is that?" Naruto asked.

Blayne Shrugged. "Looks like some kind of building to me."

"Let's go check it out." Naruto began to descend the hill. Konton sighed, then looked at Blayne. "He worries me."

"Yeah, me too. But he needs somebody to watch him. If what you say is true, we can't let the _Eisei Fushi_ get their hands on him, else something bad could happen. Or you for that matter."

Konton laughed. "I guess that makes you our protector, doesn't it?"

Blayne smiled. "I guess so."

"I bet your glad you lucked upon both of us."

"Oh yea, I'm exuberant."

Konton began to go down the hill. "Naruto, wait up!"

Blayne stood there a moment longer, thinking to himself that he only wished it was luck and coincidence that brought them together, and then he began to follow the others down the hill.

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	10. Opposite Day! Shikamaru Chooses Action!

Sakura awoke suddenly and rose from where she lay. Darkness was all about her, save a small fire that stood out directly to her right. She sat still for a minute, letting her eyes become used to the darkness. She thought to herself, trying anxiously to remember what had happened the other day, but she remembered nothing. The last thing she remembered was fighting for her life against the ninja trio.

"Finally awake?" came a voice from behind her.

Sakura jumped up to see the approaching form. A sigh overwhelmed her. "Shikamaru! Where did you come from?"

Shikamaru smiled and walked over by the fire. From out of the shadows came another figure, dressed similar to the ninjas Sakura was attacked by.

"Shika, watch out!" she jumped at the figure and struck at him with lightning-fast blows, but the figure blocked them easily.

"Calm down, girl!" he said as the threw her back on the ground. "You're going to hurt yourself."

Shikamaru offered his hand to Sakura, who accepted and allowed herself to be picked back up to her feet."

"He's with us." He told her.

"Name's Toya." The man replied.

"Hi…Toya…" Sakura said to him. Then she looked back at Shikamaru. "Now, what is going on here? Where are we?"

"The middle of nowhere." Toya said.

"How long has it been since…"

"That was today. We found you being beaten by those ninjas so we decided to help." Shikamaru said. He smiled. "I can't believe you put me through that much trouble."

Sakura smiled. "Well thanks anyways."

"Master." Toya said. "Where are we going now?"

Sakura was puzzled. _Master?_ She thought.

"We will be traveling south. It's the only way we can go right now. All the roads north are blocked."

"Are we the only ones?" Sakura said.

Shikamaru nodded. "There was an explosion of smoke from the Hokage's office. We decided it would be best to retreat and ask for help. On the way out we found you and saved you. From there, we got out of the village as fast as possible. We found nobody else."

Sakura nodded. "I hope lady Tsunade is alright." 

"What did you find out by going up there?"

"Nothing much. I was sent on ahead to escape and get help by Tsunade. Kakashi Sensei and Lee were there. Those guys were marching up to her office when she asked me to leave, so I did."

"Then we have no idea about anybody else." Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag."

"Quiet!" Toya hissed.

All three stopped moving and stood motionless. Sakura closed her eyes and began to concentrate charka to her ears. It was a technique she had developed on her own in the past few weeks, and now was the perfect time to put it to use.

Then she heard it. Voices. Steps. They were distant, but approaching fast.

"I hear them." She whispered.

"Dammit." Shikamaru replied. "I knew I shouldn't have built the fire."

Toya ran over to the fire and kicked it out, then moved over to pick up his bag. "We have to get out of here, master."

Shikamaru nodded. "Sakura, can you go?"

She nodded. "I'll be alright. Lead the way."

"Alright then. I will lead. Toya, bring up the end. Sakura, stay in the middle so you will be more protected."

The other two gave their confirmation and Shikamaru jumped into the trees.

"I want you to find anybody who escaped and kill them." Giman said.

"But boss! You were informed…"

"I know what I was informed, Mani, but were under my orders now." He turned back to the other figure in the room. "Find them and kill them."

The mysterious man look at Giman. "As you wish."

He was tall and medium build. He wore only a black robe that covered his face all the way down to his feet. On his chest was a symbol of _Eisei Fushi_, the black lightning bolt with a halo around the strike. Nothing could be determined about the guy, even by Giman. All he knew was this man was an emissary from _Eisei Fushi_, one of their most talented ninjas.

"Good. Leave as soon as possible. The more you wait, the farther they get."

The mysterious man nodded. "I will leave right away then."

"Very good. What may we call you?"

From underneath his hood a dark smile came upon his face. "Call me Deimos."

Without another word he jumped out the window. After a few seconds, Giman breathed a sigh of relief.

The three ninjas jumped through the tress, moving as fast as possible away from their pursuers. Shikamaru still led, Sakura right behind him. Toya followed a short distance away. Shikamaru kept the pace fast, hoping to escape them before more trouble could start, but he was worried about Sakura's health and he didn't want to push her too far.

Toya appeared out of nowhere right beside Shikamaru. "They've caught up! We can't escape them!"

Shikamaru cursed to himself. "Keep going. We have to get as far as possible."

The group continued traveling. Shikamaru began to speed up, hoping they could at least get a large enough lead to hide and hope that their followers would not find them.

But even that was not enough. Shikamaru heard Sakura moan and collapse behind him. Instantly he turned back around and jumped to her aid, Toya following.

He found her in a small clearing lying down. Her breathing was hard and inconsistent and she was in obvious pain.

"Leave me. Just keep going." She told him.

Shikamaru smiled. "Never leave a Shinobi behind."

He picked her up in his arms and stood, then looked at Toya. "Let's go."

"There they are!" came a voice from behind them. "Don't let them get away!"

Shikamaru turned around to find a group of the enemy ninjas standing ready to strike, each with weapons in their hand. He quickly counted their numbers: four… six… nine… thirteen. Thirteen of them. He remembered the three he and Toya had fought in the town earlier that day. Three of them were difficult enough.

But he was the leader. He was a Chuunin. He had to do something. He looked at Toya beside him. "Take her and get out of here."

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea." He shrugged.

Toya took Sakura as requested, but then walked to the edge of the clearing and put her down at the base of a large tree. "We can beat them."

"Beat them? I just want to get her out of here. We can't beat that many."

"Just trust me." Toya said.

_Why should I trust you? I've only known you for one day._ He thought. Then he looked back at the enemies, who were beginning to approach. He didn't exactly want to run away either.

"You know," he said. "We only have once shot at this."

Toya nodded.

Shikamaru nodded back, then the two pulled out daggers and approached.


	11. Undeniably Bold! Shadows Come Through!

The door opened quietly as Naruto emerged from the outside world to look inside. What he saw was darkness, pure darkness. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened his eyes, only to find nother had changed. He looked around a second time just to make sure he didn't miss anything when he suddenly fell to the ground. Konton entered and walked over him.

"You're way too slow." She told him as she stepped on his head. Naruto jumped up and pointed at Konton.

"How rude!"

"Well you were taking all day to walk inside."

"I was trying to be stealthy! Shinobi don't just walk into a place and not pay attention."

Naruto was still pointing at Konton yelling his heart out when he received another slap on the back of the head, causing him to fall down again.

"Well all your yelling isn't helping you get your point across any." Blayne walked in behind Naruto again and stood in front of the others. "If there is anybody here, they sure know now that we're here, thanks to both of you."

"Sorry but he was being stupid." Konton said.

Blayne sighed. "Kids." Then he began the walk down the long hallway in front of them. At last he gave a signal, looking back at Naruto and Konton. "Well? You coming?"

The two looked for a second, then Naruto started running. Konton sighed. "Hey! Wait for me you spikey haired loser!" She caught up to Naruto, who was already walked with Blayne.

"Quiet now." Blayne whispered.

Together, and finally quiet, the three walked down the hallway. Hardly anything could be told in detail of the place as it was so dark. Naruto simply followed Blayne, who seemed to have no trouble finding his way in the dark, and kept his mouth shut. Konton followed right behind Naruto, careful not to lose the two of them.

They arrived at the end of the hallway only to find it split off in two directions. One went directly to the left, the other diagonally off to the right. Nothing could bee seen beyond a few feet down either path.

"Well?" Konton asked. "What now?"

"We split up." Blayne said. "I'll take the left path, you two head right."

"What are we looking for?" Naruto asked.

"Don't know." Blayne responded. "Anything usefull, I guess. We're running low on supplies already, thanks to your eating habits." He smiled.

"Hey! I have to eat, you know."

"All you bought was Ramen!" Konton said.

"Ramen is good!"

"Yes, but you ate all of it." Blayne responded. He walked over to the two of them and bent close. "Now listen, I have a bad feeling about this placed. We're being watched."

"Watched?" Konton said.

"Yea, I felt it too." Naruto replied.

"Yes, watched. But that means there are supplies in this place. But there are also traps. Just find what we need and let's get out of here. I don't know what these people want or who they are. So WHEN they come for you, be ready. I'm confident you can handle whoever they are."

"What if it's the _Eisei Fushi_?" Konton asked. "They will surely try to get a hold of me and Naruto."

"That's why you have to work together." Blayne smiled. "Just be careful. Naruto is strong. He will protect you."

Konton looked over at Naruto, blushing as he stoodto the side. She smiled. "Hey, Naruto, what's up with you?" She walked over to him and, silently, kissed him on the cheek. "Let's get going."

Konton began to walk down the hall, leaving Naruto and Blayne standing there.

"I think she likes you despite how she treats you." Blayne said.

Naruto rubbed his head. "Yea…"

Blayne turned around to the other hall and began to exit. "You better catch up to her!" he yelled back to him, but when he turned to look, Naruto was already gone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shikamaru jumped to the side, dodging a kunai thrown by one of the ninjas. So far, the two were holding out. Three were already on the ground unconscious, but they were beginning to tire quickly. Toya was off to Shikamaru's right, carefully avoiding the strikes of the small army chasing after him.

Another ninja advanced with a foreward blow. Shikamaru jumped backwards, barely dodging the blow this time. _I'm losing stamina already, _Shikamaru thought. _I shouldn't be tiring so fast. _He landed near the edge of the woods, still facing the enemies, Sakura's unconscious body right behind him. There were ten now, five charging at him directly. _Looks like they're trying to finish me now._

Toya jumped back to Shikamaru's side. "Look over there!" He pointed up to the sky.

Shikamaru glance to where Toya pointed. His eyes grew wide at what he saw.

"A barrier!" Shikamaru said. Then he understood. _That's what is draining our energy, _he thought.

"Do you feel tired?" He asked Toya.

Toya nodded. "Very."

"I believe that barrier is draining our energy. We have to find a way to get rid of it. Quick, help me spot the one who is making it."

The men were on them now. Quickly, both jumped out of the way. Toya pulled out a handful of shirukens and launched them at the enemies. They flew silently through the air and hit their target. Another ninja went down, but still the other eight came foreward.

Shikamaru then turned around. Behind him, one ninja stood motionless, his hands held together. _There you are_! He pulled out a kunai and threw one at the ninja only to find it bounce off of him.

The ninja smiled. "Not only is this a barrier, it protects me also!"

Shikamaru landed on his knees, this time barely able to stand up again.

"This is bad. I'm about to lose it all." He said to himself. Quietly he sighed. "What a drag."

Toya landed by him again, his status similar to Shikamaru's. "I can't keep going much longer! The technique is starting to take affect faster."

"I noticed…" Shikamaru replied. "I've got one more shot in me."

Shikamaru stood up straight and held is hands together. The ninjas were coming once again. He turned around to the leader casting the barrier. As quick as he could move his body, the hand signs went together.

"Shadow Possesion Jutsu!" he yelled.

The shadow from underneath him jumped foreward as quick as lightning. It screamed across the ground to the leader, who didn't notice Shikamaru's skill. It hit him quick, his face going white.

"I can't move!" he screamed. "What did you do to me?"

Shikamaru lowered his hands, causing the ninja to copy, therefore ending the barrier. A great weight fell off his shoulders. He smiled. "I've toyed with you too long." He scolded the ninja. "You get to be the guinea pig for my new technique." He raised his hands in the air and closed his eyes.

He stood still at first, nothing seeming to happen. Then, at last, visible chakra began to flow from his hands. It attempted to jump out of his palms, but Shikamaru held it at bay.

"When I let go of this Chakra, it will flow right through my shadows. And my shadow, of course, is connected to you."

The ninja screamed. "No! No! You can't!"

"Scared are we?" Shikamaru asked.

"We won't let you take him!" He heard from behind. The other ninjas were running at him, kunai in hand, ready to strike him down. But Toya was there, throwing himself into the ground of ninjas and sending them backwards. The group flew to the ground. Toya didn't get up.

Shikamaru focused his attention back to the leader. "Time to die! Shadow Possesion Jutsu! Chakra Transfer Blast!"

He threw is hands to the ground, sending the chakra into his shadows. It flowed through the shadow connecting him to the other ninja like a fuse lying on the ground. The end result wasn't pretty. The leader flew backwards and hit a tree, breaking his back and knocking him out.

Shikamaru released the Jutsu, knowing the leader was dead. Then he turned back to the others, who were beginning to rise. "Great….just...great…" he managed to get out before he fell down.

The men were approaching him, but he could not move. All he could do was watch in his final seconds. Out of nowhere, he smiled. _What a drag,_ he thought.

But suddenly the men stopped and looked away. Then, altogether, they began to fall, one my one, until only one remained.

The last sight he saw before he passed out was of his chubby best friend standing tall in front of him.


	12. Trap! Battle in the Chakra Base!

Naruto walked down the hallway slow and silently, something quite difficult for the chuunin ninja. Konton followed closely behind him. Both walked carefully, afraid of catching a trap and meeting their fate. Neither wanted to be the one who caused them to attract unwanted attention, so both kept quiet. Not even Konton said anything about Naruto.

They had walked halfway down the hallway when Naruto peeked to the left and saw a door. It was the first one he had saw since they split away from Blayne.

"Should we go in there?" Naruto whispered to Konton behind him.

"I don't see why not." She replied. "Let's see what is in here."

Naruto turned and opened the door and the two entered. Inside was a large room with tables spread across the floor. On the sides were more tables and cabinets. Pots and pans hung from the wall and chairs were thrown everywhere around the room. On the tables, food could be seen, half-eaten and lying out in the open.

"I think we found the dining hall, Naruto." Konton said.

"Yea. Let's split up and look around in here for something decent to eat."

Konton walked off to the right, Naruto to the left. Naruto walked to the far end of the hall, carefull examining everything. He found a door and went inside. He looked inside at his surroundings. Areas for fires and furnaces stood against the wall, leading Naruto to quickly decipher that this was a kitchen.

"I bet there is food in here." Naruto said to himself.

He walked onward to the back of the kitchen, past the furnaces and stoves. He passed large amounts of cabinets and piles of kitchenware to yet another door, this one large and heavy. Naruto looked at it for a second, then grabbed the handle and opened the door. Cold air rushed onto him when he opened it.

"Chilly." Naruto said, then he walked inside.

What he found inside was not food, however. Shelves on both sides stored hundreds of small containers filled with red liquids. Naruto looked at them, puzzled at their meaning. They looked as if they were alive, each one flowing within itself and shooting up and down. For a second, Naruto thought of opening up the container and taking a drink, but decided not to. Never eat something you don't know the name of, he thought.

Then it hit him. This room wasn't just cold, it was freezing. How could it be kept that cold? He thought. There wasn't any way, unless somebody was using…

He instantly pulled out a kunai and flipped it behind him to block the shiruken flying at his face, then turned around and threw two more shirukens back to where the first came from. Two ninjas blocked the attacks with kunais as he had.

He should have guessed it before. A trap.

Silently, the two Ninjas engaged in battle and charged Naruto. Quickly, he pulled out a Kunai and stood still, carefully dodging a barrage of punches and strikes from the two ninja. Naruto jumped and dodged yet another attack from the ninjas that had trapped him into this lonely room. A kunai in his left hand, he blocked strikes from the foremost ninja as he moved to avoid the sweep kick from the second by flipping over the first. Then he charged and swung his kunai, successfully cutting the arm of the standing ninja. He fell back and hit the floor, but the second ninja still continued the onslaught.

Naruto ran at him and slid under his feet to avoid a lunging blow. At the end of the slide he jumped back to his feet and threw his kunai into the back of the second ninja, causing him to fall as well. Naruto sighed, but before he could catch his breath, the first ninja was up behind him and charging again, but this time he was already too close. There was nothing he could do to dodge the attack.

But then the first ninja fell backward again, this time from a beam of charka that came out of nowhere. This time, he didn't get up.

Naruto looked back to the origin of the beam. Konton was standing still, her hands placed in front of her in the shape of a triangle. She had a smile on her face.

"Of course you would need my help." She told him.

"Not funny!" Naruto replied. He looked down at the bodies. "We need to get out of here, fast!"

Konton nodded. "We can't leave Blayne, though."

"You're right. Let's go!" Naruto replied.

Together they ran back through the door they came from.

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Blayne walked down the end of the hallway and into a large open room. Nobody had given him any trouble yet, even though he had been searching for it since he walked into this building. It was much larger than it seemed from the outside, so he guessed it had went underground, tilting slowly since they entered.

When he entered the room he immediately felt their presence. They were all around him. _Why couldn't I detect them before I entered the room?_ He thought, but he already knew. Genjutsu. Somebody had put a shrouding barrier around the building where chakra senses would be deceived. It was the only way. Nobody could conceal their chakra, not that good.

Three men came from behind him and stood between him and the door. Two more appeared one each side of him at both ends of the room, and five revealed their selves directly in front of him.

"Welcome, Blayne." Said the one in the middle in front of him. "It's been awhile."

Suddenly the room lit up, revealing to Blayne the faces around him. Who he saw in the middle surprised him the most, almost to the point of disbelief.

"Shimzai!" Blayne said in disgust. "What are you doing here?"

The man named Shimzai laughed. "Now, Blayne, don't be upset. I've wanted to see you again for quite some time. Now, I have my chance." He smiled.

"And I told you if I ever saw your face again I would make sure you didn't remember it."

"Those are bold words, Genji." Shimzai replied.

"Don't speak those words in front of me! You're the betrayer here!" Blayne yelled. He reached for his sword and unsheathed it. The men around him took a step foreward, causing Blayne to halt, sword in hand.

"Why are you here?" Blayne said.

"This is our base."

"Who is 'our'?" he asked.

"The _Eisei Fushi_. I work for them."

This enraged Blayne even more. "So, you quit the Genji and chose to work for those wretches. I can't believe you, Shimzai."

"You don't understand, Blayne. Working as a Genji never did me any good. But working for _Eisei Fushi_, that pays off. I will become more powerful than you ever were. I already am!"

Blayne swung his sword at Shimzai from where he stood. He fell backwards onto the ground, stunning the men around him. Shimzair jumped back up, a dirty look on his face. "Nice trick…" He said, his voice raspy and evil. "But don't push your luck. Your surrounded."

The men from around him began to step foreword, kunais in hand. This wasn't going to be good. Blayne readied his sword and stood still, carefull studying their movements. Eleven men he counted.

"I've got just the thing for you." He smiled.

Then he began to concentrate and charge. Chakra began to flow from this body and into his sword, causing the sword to glow a bright red and shine. He grabbed the sword with both hands and held it all the way to his far left as he concentrated and put more force into his sword. It began to overflow now, chakra shooting out from all sides and disappearing into thin air.

When the men were close enough he began.

"Sword technique! Cyclone Strike Jutsu!"

He began to spin, his sword following right behind him. The spinning continued to increase in speed and the sword began to release more energy. After a second, the air around him began to transform and move with him, causing a funnel of chakra to enclose him. Sill the men approached. At last, he stopped spinning and swung his sword down to the ground as he screamed. The chakra cyclone released and flew into the ninja around him, sending them flying into the wall. They were killed instantly.

Blayne stopped spinning and looked again at Shimzai.

"Don't toy with me."

Shimzai laughed. "You won't be saying that when I start taking you seriously."

Blayne could only smile.

----------------------------------------------------------

"Wake up, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru's eyes opened and he jumped up. Chouji stood in front of him. He looked around, wondering what had happened. The bodies of the ninja that had attacked them lay on the ground beyond the edge of the clearing.

"They aren't all dead. We need to get out of here." Chouji said. "I'll catch you up on everything when we get out."

Shikamaru stood for a second, still unable to think clearly. All he could do was nod.

"Where is Toya?" He asked Chouji.

"That other guy? He was passed out, too, but woke up a few minutes ago. He informed me of what happened here, then he went ahead to scout. Sakura is still lying over there. But like I said, we need to go. There is a very huge charka approaching."

Shikamaru nodded again. "Yea…I feel it too."

He ran over to Sakura, still lying on the ground, and picked her up. "I'll lead the way. You've still got energy, so if that guy catches up to us, you can hold him back."

Chouji smiled. "That's Shikamaru for you. Always thinking of plans, even when your wore out."

Shikamaru smiled, then jumped up into the trees. Chouji quickly followed.

They didn't catch the demon eyes looking at them from the darkness behind them.


	13. Rescue! Mysterious Saviors!

"Just like I remember you!" Shimzai yelled across the room, his voice a thundering wave.

Blayne looked up at the man, the first serious look he had given the guy. He stood a bit shorter than himself, but just as lean and powerful looking. He wore silver gloves; long, black hair; and a dark blue jacket and black undershirt. Most of all, his intense face of hatred shone through his demeanor. Blayne could tell that he was truly evil.

"Why are you with the _Eisei Fushi_, Shimzai?" Blayne asked.

"I already told you. They offered me power! Much more than the pitiful cult you belong to."

Blayne's face looked disgusted. "I can't believe you."

Shimzai laughed. "Believe it." He jumped down and approached Blayne. "Now," he began, "Why are YOU here?"

"That's none of your business."

"Don't worry. I know why you're here. You're here to protect the boy and his fox."

Blayne smiled. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you won't stop me."

Blayne and Shimzai stood apart from each other, their eyes clashing in a fierce battle of hatred. Blayne had sword in hand, his enemy stood bare handed. Blayne knew he would probably die here. Shimzai was indeed much stronger than before, back when they were allies. He could only hope for a quick victory. He had to end it with one blow.

He began to charge his sword once more.

Shimzai, however, wouldn't allow it. Quickly, he rushed at Blayne and uppercut him down to the ground before he could defend against the blow. Then he placed his hands together and made signs accordingly.

"Now, die!" Shimzai yelled. A beam of chakra shot at Blayne with lightning speed. The beam shot to the ground, causing an explosion. Smoke shot up everywhere inside the room, making both fighters temporarily blind through the eyes.

As the smoke cleared, Shimzai stood alone. A smile broke onto his face again. "Looks like your dead!" He yelled, almost sounding like insanity.

"Illusion Sword Jutsu!" he heard from out of nowhere.

Shimzai looked up, but before he could move, a blast hit in from the above, causing him to hit the floor. Continuous blows struck him into the ground, causing a hole to build further and further. Suddenly Blayne came flying down from the ceiling and torpedo kicked Shimzai into the ground. He let out a roar of pain, then Blayne jumped backwards and landed onto the ground.

Shimzai stood back up, this time more slowly than before. "Fool!"

"Just give up." Blayne replied. "Go back to _Eisei Fushi_ and beg."

Shimzai still smiled. "You're a fool, and you're dead."

"What?"

"You know this building has been clouded with a chakra barrier, correct?"

Blayne nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, it's more than that. This building IS chakra!"

Blayne's eyes opened wide. "Genjutsu!"

"Correct!" Shimzai smiled. "I'm concentrating most of my power into keeping this 'building' standing! All I have to do is release the Jutsu and we all die!" Shimzai let out an evil laugh.

_So he's had me all along,_ Blayne thought.

"Release!" Shimzai yelled.

The building began to shake.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What in the world is that?" Naruto asked. "The whole building is shaking!"

"We don't have time to worry! We have to find Blayne!" Konton replied.

Naruto and Konton finally reached the hallway break where they had split up with Blayne before. The building had began to shake and parts of it began to crumble. Something bad was happening, that was easy to tell. What had caused this to happen? Naruto thought. What had become of Blayne?

"Hey, there they are!"

"Don't let them get away! Kill them!"

Naruto turned to the hallway Blayne had chosen and saw a group of men running down the hallway. More ninjas.

"Great!" Naruto said. "We don't have time for this!"

"If they are coming from there and Blayne isn't…" Konton ended suddenly.

"I'm not leaving Blayne! He's alive in there, somewhere!" Naruto yelled. "And they are gonna die!"

"Naruto, we don't have time!"

Before she could finish Naruto ran down the hall to engage the ninjas. He stopped before they arrived and placed his hands together.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he yelled. A dozen clones enclosed the hallway now. All of them charged into battle with the ninjas.

Konton watched from the back, yelling franticly at Naruto to hurry. The sounds were even louder now, and parts of the building were falling. They only had a few more minutes…

The battle wore on quickly. Only a few clones were left, but still ten of the ninjas were fighting. The remaining clones were then destroyed, leaving Naruto standing alone. The ninjas began to run at Naruto again.

"Get out of here!" Naruto yelled back at Konton. "I'll cover you!"

"No, Naruto! You can't!"

"Just go!"

Konton looked at Naruto, standing boldly, ready to engage in the helpless battle. They had only known each other for a few days, but already he treated her as a life long friend. He was already willing to put his life on the line, give his life for her. A tear ran down her cheek. She nodded at Naruto and turned back, knowing she would never be able to forgive herself.

Naruto turned back around and put his hands back together. Then he put one hand behind him. Shadow clones appeared on each side and began to weave the energy around his hands, created the ball of chakra that would end the battle. _If I use this, the entire building will collapse around me surely. But I have to save Konton._ The clones finished weaving the energy and disappeared.

The ninjas continued running at him as he launches his hand foreword.

"Rasengan!"

The ninjas met the blow and all flew backwards in excruciating pain. Screams were let out as the enemy hit the ground. The blast let out a terrifying explosion. Just as he had thought, the building was going to fall.

Naruto stood up straight and put his head down. There was no hope. But at least he had saved somebody this time.

He looked up and saw a large boulder falling toward him. "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

What he saw next was sand.

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"I can't believe you would actually…!" Blayne couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Oh, I won't die!" Shimzai yelled. He placed his hands together. "Teleportation Jutsu!"

And then he was gone.

And then Blayne was alone.

He had to get out of here quick. He turned and ran to the hallway he came from, but it had already collapsed. He scanned the room. No more exits. He was trapped.

"If you can't find a way, make one." He said to himself.

He held his sword up and poured chakra into it faster than ever before. If he didn't hurry, it would be too late. He had once shot at this.

When he could charge no more, he held his sword in both hands and ran to the back wall. As he got close, he jumped up to the top of the building and struck the wall.

"Piercing Blade!" He stabbed the sword straight at the wall. The sword went straight through, the wall cracking all over. Blayne smiled. Success!

He pulled the sword out of the wall. Something wasn't right.

The cracks were recovering.

"How?" Blayne said.

Then he knew. The building was chakra, Shimzai had told him. It would recover itself. He had no way out. It was a trap.

He landed back on the ground. He began to wonder if Naruto and Konton had made it out. He hoped they would have a better fate than him.

"So I've failed you, Kyuubi." He said.

"Hey, man! Don't just stand there! Get over here!."

Blayne turned around to find a boy standing there. He wore black all over and had purple and white paint on his face. A smile came over both of their faces.

"I was starting to wonder when you guys would show up."

"Don't worry about us, Sensei. We've got your back!" He held a large wooden figure to his side. "Hop in! Let's get the hell out of here."

Blayne nodded and jumped inside the doll-like figure. The boy closed the figure and put his hands on the wooden figure. "Puppet Transfer Jutsu!"

When he opened the figure back up, Blayne was gone. Then he jumped inside, and this time, the entire puppet disappeared.


	14. Reunion! Sensei and His Pupils!

Konton made it outside just in time. The building collapsed as she ran through the doorway. She didn't stop running. She continued on, desperately trying to get away from this building of destruction. This trap. Tears rolled down her eyes as the thought about what she had just done. Naruto. Blayne. She had left them behind. She had abandoned Naruto to save her own life. She was a disgrace.

At last she made it to the top of the hill where she fell to the ground and past out. She was almost hyperventilating, but she kept her calm enough to make it through. Still she lay there, desperately attempting to catch her breath so she could get away.

No, she wouldn't get away. She would return and look for Naruto and Blayne. She would at least try, regardless of the probability they had made it out. They couldn't have died. Konton knew those two would find some way out.

"There's one!" she heard somebody say. "Kill her!"

She managed to stand up and see who was following her. Ninjas. They had made it out, also. And now they were after her.

Konton put her hands together. She didn't know who she was going to get out of this. She was already worn out from the running and the battle inside. But she was going to try. She had to try.

_For Naruto,_ she thought to herself.

But then the ninjas were blown away. Massive gale-force winds came from the left and launched the enemies away. They flew through the air and hit a pile of jagged rocks lying off to the side, killing them instantly.

Konton looked amazed. What had she just been witness to?

"Stupid ninja." Somebody said. The voice came from the left, where the winds had come from. Konton looked in that direction. A girl was walked towards her. She wore white clothes and had yellow hair. She was pretty, but the most obviously noticeable feature was the large fan she bore across her back.

She approached Konton now. "What are you doing here? What happened?"

Konton did not think to hide anything from her, even though she could be an enemy. She just talked. "We were exploring this old building. We were trapped inside by a group of people. The building began to collapse. I was the only one who made it out.

"We?" The girl asked. "Who were the other two?"

"One was a ninja from the Leaf." She said, not wanting to give any names. "The other…I'm not sure where he was from. He never said."

"Was his name Blayne?"

Konton's eyes opened wide in disbelief. "So you know him?"

"Yes, I know him. I'm looking for him. I guess we found him."

"We?" Konton mocked. "Who are the other two?"

The girl laughed. "I like your style. We are ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village. My team is here searching for Blayne." She extended her hand. "Name's Temari."

Konton accepted the greeting. "I don't know if he made it out or not…"

"Blayne is more resourceful than you think." Temari replied.

"How do you know Blayne?" Konton asked.

Temari smiled. "He's our sensei. Our team leader. We heard rumors of him from villagers in Dubai."

"That's right. Dubai is in the Sand Region."

"The outskirts, yes." Temari walked over and looked down at the ruins. "Who was the other ninja with you? The one from the leaf? Don't worry, I'm not an enemy. We've worked with the leaf."

"His name was Naruto."

Temari smiled. "Ha. That loser?"

Konton looked angry. "He's not a loser! He…saved me…"

Temari turned and saw Konton. She was almost in tears. "Well I apologize."

Konton walked over by Temari. "It's ok. He is kind of a loser." She smiled. "Well, I have to go looking for him."

"I don't think that will be necessary." Temari replied. "He's probably safe. Follow me."

Temari turned and began to run around the valley. Konton looked confused at first, but then followed.

"I never would have expected that from you." Naruto said. "I really owe you one."

Gaara of the Desert stood up, wiping dirt off of his clothes. "Don't mention it."

"So, what are you guys doing here, anyways?"

"We're looked for our sensei."

"Your sensei? Who might that be?"

"Blayne Gallione. Have you met him?"

Naruto jumped. "Blayne is your sensei! Why didn't he tell us?"

Gaara shrugged. "Who knows? He's pretty secretive." His face jumped to the right. "Somebody is coming."

Naruto looked over. Two figures were approaching along the rim of the Valley. Naruto squinted. "Konton!"

"Naruto!" he heard her reply.

Konton ran and jumped into Naruto's arms. "I can't believe you made it out of there!"

"Well, it was thanks to Gaara here. His sand got us out and protected us at the same time. We owe him big." He let go of her.

Konton nodded and looked at the sand warrior. "Thank you, Gaara. And thank you, Temari."

"Don't worry about it. We're simply doing out job." Temari replied.

Konton looked at Naruto. "What about Blayne?"

Naruto shrugged. "I haven't seen him."

"That's because you haven't been looking." 

Everyone turned around to find Blayne sitting on the ground eating an apple. Konkuro sat beside him, his puppets attached to his back.

"Why didn't you tell us were you sitting behind us the WHOLE time!" Naruto yelled. "I CANT BELIEVE YOU!!!"

Blayne smiled. "You should have been able to detect me."

Naruto sighed.

"Sensei!" Temari yelled. "You're back!"

Temari jumped on Blayne, causing both to fall over.

"Stop it! I get it!" Blayne yelled.

Temari jumped back up. This time Blayne and Konkuro stood up and wiped off the dirt. Blayne walked over to Gaara and put his hand on his shoulder.

"It's good to be back." He smiled.

Gaara smiled for the first time Naruto had ever seen. He didn't say anything, but Naruto could tell that Gaara was happy. He had hoped these people had changed since the last time he saw them as enemies. He could tell they had, especially Gaara. He seemed at peace with himself, unlike last time.

Blayne stood walked ahead of the group and looked ahead. "Now, Naruto, Konton, everyone I guess." He turned around at them. "I guess it's time I tell you guys what's going on."


	15. Run Sensei! Battle With a Beast!

Shikamaru awoke and rose from his bed. He stretched and yawned as he sat up and looked out the window. The day was bright and birds chirping everywhere. A cloud couldn't be seen for miles and the warmth seemed to make Shikamaru want to roll over and go back to sleep. This was the first sleep he had received in over three days.

After Chouji saved him, Toya, Sakura, and himself fled from their ninja pursuers. They spent the rest of the night running. After a few minutes, Shikamaru noticed another presence behind them and they sped up the retreat. They continued, afraid of the one behind them, but he had never shown himself, so they continued on. Around midday the next day, Toya returned from his scouting, informing Shikamaru and Chouji that he had found a house to stay in. Shikamaru agreed, and the group made their way to the house. They arrived later that day. The woman there took the news stoically and allowed them a place to sleep. All of them passed out immediately

Shikamaru got out of his bed and dressed, then walked down the stairs to the main room. Sakura sat at the table. She looked up at Shikamaru and smiled.

"Good morning." She said.

"Good morning to you." He replied. "I hope you're feeling better?"

Sakura nodded. "A lot. The last thing I remember is falling down in that clearing. Toya told me what happened after that, so I'm fairly caught up."

"That's good." Shikamaru sat down at the table. "Where is Chouji?"

"He went outside with Toya. The two of them are backtracking for that thing Toya said was following us."

Shikamaru sighed. "I hope he doesn't pull anything stupid."

Sakura agreed. They sat in silence for a bit, each enjoying tea Sakura had made. At last Sakura asked the question.

"So, where do we go from here?"

"I'm not sure. We could go back to the village and try to help out, but that thing is chasing us. If we ran into him…" He leaned back into his chair. "Any other ideas?"

"Actually…" Sakura said. "Lady Hokage told us to meet her at a village to the north of the Leaf."

"That would be the best thing to do, but we happen to be south of the Leaf…" Shikamaru said. "Things never work out like planned. What a drag…"

"Well what is the nearest village around here?" Sakura asked.

"Not exactly sure." Shikamaru replied. "Judging from where we left the village and what direction we ran, I would say we are somewhere southwest of the Leaf. That would mean the closest major city would be Galia. We traveled quit a long ways away from the Leaf in our retreat." He sat back up. "What do you WANT to do?"

Sakura laughed on the inside. _Retreat,_ she thought, _I like the way he put it._

"I want to return and help the village…" Sakura faded.

"Then we would have to find a different way into the village. From a different direction. Which would mean circling."

"Could it be accomplished?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, it could."

"Then let's go for it. If we can just manage to get a note into Lady Hokage, that would be all we needed."

"Perhaps. I'll think about it until they return."

Sakura nodded. "Alright, master Strategist." She stood up and yawned. "I'm still tired. I think I'm going back to bed."

"Alright. Good morning." Shikamaru said sarcastically.

She walked back up the stairs. Shikamaru remained seated and began to think. There was something he hadn't told her. The presence of that beast. That thing. It had stopped following them. They would have been caught up to be now if it hadn't. That wasn't entirely all bad he supposed.

The question was who did it start following afterwards?

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"Lee!" Kakashi yelled. "Watch out behind you!"

Lee jumped straight up in the air, allowing the pursuing ninja to run underneath. Seeing the opening, Lee back flipped in mid-air and sent his signature hurricane-style kick into the ninjas back, sending him flying.

He landed and began to run again. He caught up to Kakashi and the two ran together.

"That was a close one! Next time, I will not be as careless as we travel."

Kakashi couldn't help but to laugh. "I wouldn't exactly call it 'traveling,' Lee."

The two had fled the Hidden Leaf Village together over three days ago. They had not stopped running since then. They had been pursued the entire way, and more than once had been forced to stop and fight their way out of trouble. They must have killed more than thirty of them and it was beginning to take its toll on them. They were running out of energy fast and hadn't had time to take any military pills with them. They were out here on their own.

The two had made an excellent team from the start. Kakashi, with his Sharingan, would scan the area and find the holes in the enemy, or detect when they were close enough to fight or far enough away to rest. Lee's masterful taijutsu would pick off the weak points Kakashi found, and together, the two would make it out of the toughest traps with only the smallest margin of error.

So far, it had kept them alive.

Kakashi scanned the area behind them. "I can't sense anybody."

Both of them stopped and sat down, both breathing hard.

"This is beginning to take a toll on me." Lee said. "I can barely feel my legs."

"Rest easy, Lee. Don't talk. It halts recuperation." Kakashi replied.

Lee nodded. "Excellent advice."

The two sat together in silence after that for twenty minutes, the longest break they had received in the three days of running. Both were too afraid to say anything. They wanted to silence to last. The rest. Their legs were in deep pain. If somebody caught up to them, they would have to run again.

Kakashi pulled out some fruit. "Eat this. It will help."

"What is it?" Lee asked.

"It's a special fruit that restores chakra. I forgot its name, but my old Sensei ate it all the time. Enjoy."

Lee accepted the fruit and began to eat. It tasted rather bitter, but nothing Lee couldn't handle. He ate it happily, accepting any food over none, and didn't complain.

Once he was done, he threw the core down to the ground and sighed. "Thank you, Master Kakashi. I feel much better now."

A leaf crunched in the wind. Kakashi looked up, his eyes focusing. "Something is approaching."

Lee stood up and looked around. _Nothing_, he thought. He looked through the trees and sky, but saw nothing. Then he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

Then Lee swung his leg around in a tornado style motion to counter the massive rock that was approaching his head. He hit it directly and shattered it into pieces. The debris flew through Kakashi and himself.

"Lee, look out!" Kakashi yelled. Instantly he threw a shiruken and blocked the poison needles that approached Lee from behind. Both sets of weapons fell to the ground.

Lee and Kakashi stood ready to defend.

"I guess they found us." Lee stated.

"Not they." Kakashi said. "It."

Lee looked up. Standing in a tree high above them was what seemed like a monster. It wore black ropes to cover up most of its body It was very tall and thick, but not overweight any. Muscles from head to toe, it looked impenetrable as it stood tall. The only thing that could be seen was it's face, and it was something that stood out to all. It looked human, but it was hideous. Its face was hardened and scarred. It's eyes glowed bright with pure evil. Its skin was pale gray and its hair bright silver and flowed down its back.

"What…is that?" Kakashi said.

"It's…pure evil. That must be what was chasing us all along." Lee commented.

"We fell into their trap." Kakashi said. Lee looked at him with a questionable gesture.

"They knew we would escape the ninjas. They were only a ploy to slow us down. While they distracted us, they sent this beast in front of us and had it surround us." Kakashi continued.

"I can feel its chakra from here." Lee said.

Then it attacked. It attacked fast, before either could move. It rammed into Kakashi and knocked him backwards. Lee barely jumped out of the way before it hit Kakashi. The beast jumped immediately from Kakashi to Lee, but he had seen it coming this time and dodged the attack.

Lee bounced off a tree and launched his own attack this time. He sent his fist flying into the creature. He didn't move. Lee looked surprised, but continued to attack, now sending his legs hurling at him continuously. The monster slowly moved backwards. At last Lee roundhouse kicked the beast into the air. He landed on the side of a tree, causing the tree to fall down.

Lee stood up at stared intently. He knew it wasn't over. Not yet. This thing was insanely strong. Far stronger than himself. It would take intelligence and strategy to bring him down.

Just as Lee suspected, the monster stood back up, his eyes still glowing with evil and a smile on his face.

Then the beast screamed a shrill cry that caused Lee to pause. Then chakra began pouring out of the thing as it stood hunched over, the shriek still carrying. It was powering up.

Lee stepped backwards in awe of the monstrous figure. "This is bad. Very bad."

At last it finished. The beast stood back up, this time it was even taller than before. If it has started out intimidating, then no words could describe it now. The robes were ripped and shredded. It wore only chains and a vest. A huge cudgel was strapped across its back.

The monster began to approach Lee.

"I cannot hold back if I am to beat this monster. I have to go all out!"

Lee reached down to his ankles and into his shoes. After a second, he brought his hands back out, this time holding two seemingly small weights. He stood back up and tossed the weights to the side. As they hit the ground, trees fell and the ground quaked, causing the monster to hesitate.

That was what Lee was looking for. That was when he attacked.

Lee sprinted toward the beast at inhuman speed. As he arrived, he jumped sideways and began to circle. The speed increased and a tornado began to appear around the monster. The beast looked confused now. His movement has stopped as he watched Lee move with incredible finesse.

At last Lee stopped and launched himself toward the monster.

"First Gate! Forward Lotus!"

Lee extended his leg and Sent all his strength into the monster. The beast was launched into the air. Before he could adjust, Lee appeared behind him, another kick ramming into the beast. This time he fell to the ground, causing a huge explosion.

Lee jumped back down and landed on his feet. His breathing was heavy already.

Before he could catch his breath, the beast was back up again.

Lee stared in amazement. "No way! That was the Lotus I used. Nobody survives an attack from the chakra gates!"

The monster roared. "You're nothing but a fool!"

Lee stood tall again. This time, he wouldn't be able to dodge. He used all his energy on the last attack.

Then he heard a noise from behind him. A shriek, almost chirping noise.

Kakashi stood behind him, arms down to the ground, chidori ready.

"Get back, Lee. He is going to pay."


	16. Rescued Again! Konoha's Finest!

The beast screamed and howled in fury at the sound of Kakashi's Lightning Blade. The Jonin charged his power into his fists, the lightning blue energy slowly growing larger. The chirping noise increased. Lee watched from the side, careful not to get in the way. _This would finish him for sure_, he thought.

Kakashi began to run.

He charged at the beast as it howled. The beast saw Kakashi running, and began to charge also. It was going to be a clash.

"Lightning Blade!" Kakashi yelled.

He raised his arms up and unleashed the blast with a fierce uppercut on the monster. The beast howled again and flew backwards in pain. It crashed through trees and rocks. The forest appeared to be falling down. At the end it hit a cliff, causing a giant cloud of dust to arise over the battlefield.

Kakashi stood where he landed the blow, still bending over. "There…"

Lee ran to Kakashi. "Are you alright? That was quite a terrible blow you took back there!"

Kakashi looked up at Lee. "I'm alright." He looked back to where the monster landed. "He's not, though."

"We should get out of here." Lee stated. He put Kakashi's arms over his shoulders and began to walk away with him.

"That was amazing. You truly are as great as Naruto and Sakura tell everybody."

Kakashi laughed. "At least I know they like me."

"Naruto looks up to you greatly. So does Saku…"

He never finished. Both Lee and Kakashi were thrown off their feet by the blow. They skidded along the ground into the forest.

Lee barely managed to get back up. He was scratched and worn. Kakashi lay on the ground. The blow clearly hit him head on. He was breathing, but barely.

"This thing…what is it? How can it be so powerful?"

It stood in front of him. Its eyes were still glowing. It had transformed again. Now it stood over eight feet tall. Its towering build was covered with scratches and bruises. Blood covered him from head to toe, but still it was standing.

"I can't let him win. I have to destroy him. If I don't, then it will continue to find and hurt others."

He began to peel off the wrap around him arms. _I'm sorry, Gai._

Then the beast flew backwards. It landed hard against a tree and lay on its back and screamed. A giant blade was stuck inside the beast.

Lee began to look around for his rescuer. He found him standing in a tree directly above him. He was a pretty well sized man. He had a beard and wore brown robes. Short, black hair rested on his head, and a spear was in his right hand. He looked in his mid thirties. He looked dangerous. Lee could see it in his eyes.

The man jumped down from the tree directly in front of Lee. "You don't need to use that technique."

Lee didn't question him, he simply agreed.

"Stand back. I'll take care of this thing."

Suddenly the man threw off his coat. On the inside, he was fully dressed in battle gear. Kunais, daggers, shirukens, and needles covered his waist and chest. His vest was black and blue and the undershirt was pure blue.

He rushed the demon, who was back on his feet and screaming once more. He threw a handful of daggers at the monster and cut him up even more than before. Before they met, the man ducked down and jammed his spear into the stomach of the beast. It screamed in pain again, this time falling to the ground. Still it moved and attempted to get up.

The man stood up and backed away. He placed his spear into the ground. Then he put his hands together. A dark look was in his eyes as he faced the demon.

"I grow tired of you."

His hands flashed into signs as charka began to build slowly around him. It rushed to his hands, the charka itself turning bright yellow. The he looked back up at the monster, who was on his feel now. He screamed his demonic scream and began to rush at the man again.

The man raised his hands into the air. "Finishing Strike! Final Blast Jutsu!" He lowered his hands in force and struck the ground. The land began to shake and a spark of yellow fire rushed from all sides.

Lee jumped away from the explosion far away into a tree. He stood in amazement watching the power this man was emitting. "This guy is something."

The barrier around him began to expand towards the oncoming monster. It rammed into him, crushing the demonic figure and seemingly dissolving him in mid-air. He let out one final scream as he melted away.

Silence.

Lee stood still for a minute longer, careful not to disturb the man. The silence was deafening.

"Where did your friend go?" he heard from behind him.

Lee jumped to see the man standing on the tree limb behind him. Then he remembered. "Kakashi! What happened to…?"

"Don't worry. I didn't hit him. He should be fine."

He spoke in a hard, callous voice. Lee ignored the man and jumped down from the tree. He ran to where he and Kakashi were standing only minutes ago and began searching.

"He's over here." Lee heard the man call for him. He immediately found the man and ran to him. Kakashi was there, lying unconscious on the ground. Lee dropped to one knee.

"Master Kakashi! Are you alright?"

"He'll be alright. He's still alive. Tough one you've got here."

"He's a very powerful man." Lee said.

"He doesn't appear to be right now, does he?" the man smiled.

Lee was furious. "Never say that about a ninja from my village!"

The man smiled still. "Calm down. I just saved your life, didn't I? Why would I try to kill you now, eh?" He bent over and picked up Kakashi. "Let's get him some help. You, too. Your about to collapse. And what were you thinking about! You were going to open the 6th gate! You might have died in your current state."

Lee looked astonished. "You know of the gates?"

The man smiled. "I know some things here and there."

"Who are you?" Lee asked.

"Name's Kirai. You?"

"I am Rock Lee of the Hidden Leaf Village of Konoha." Lee had given up on hiding his identity. Whoever this man was, he was strong, and he needed his help badly.

"There is a village close by. You almost made it there, had Deimos now found you. Let's hurry."

Lee simply nodded and followed his mysterious rescuer.

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"So." Shikamaru said to everyone. "What are we going to do?"

The group had finally been assembled into the house together. Shikamaru stood by the wall on the far side from the door. Chouji sat at the table, a bag of chips in his hand. Toya and Sakura both stood at the wall on the right. Each had carefully listened to the information they had gathered all day. Night had just fallen and Shikamaru had ordered this meeting.

"Judging from all we've heard, there aren't many options left." Chouji said. "All paths are cut off. The only way we can go is south."

"That might not be a bad thing…" Sakura said.

The group looked at her; all had confused looks on their eyes.

"I heard rumors of a group of people in the south. They are a small band, but they have taken on the _Eisei Fushi_ many times. They have won."

Shikamaru listened intently. "What are you getting at?"

Sakura looked down. "The group is lead by a man of supposedly incredible power. Another member is a girl. The last one…" she paused. "Was a kid with spiky blonde hair."

Shikamaru thought intently. What was she getting at?

"Naruto!" Chouji yelled.

Sakura looked up. "Exactly! We have found hints to Naruto's whereabouts."

Shikamaru nodded. "How do we know its Naruto?"

Sakura shrugged. "We don't, but what choice to we have? We're trapped on all sides. They have been seen the only way we can go. If they are fighting the _Eisei Fushi_, they can help."

"She's right." Toya said. "We're limited on options. We have to do this."

Shikamaru sighed. "All right. Tomorrow, we head south." He quietly walked up the stairs alone. As he walked, all he could think about was the clouds.


	17. Looking Onward Target: Galia!

"I am not what you thought I was." Blayne began. "And I am not what you think I am."

He sat down beside Konkuro and Temari. Gaara, Naruto, and Konton remained standing. They had been awaiting this moment for some time now. Naruto knew there was more than meets the eye with Blayne, but hadn't pushed the matter, knowing it would have done nothing but cause friction between the two otherwise friends. Naruto had grown to like the mysterious man. He was strong, very strong, and a good ally to have, especially in this almost otherworldly search for Sasuke.

"I am on a mission." Blayne said. "To kill somebody. He is an old friend. I found him in that building. I knew he was there. That is why I was so adamant about going in there. That is why I didn't stop you. I knew the risks from the beginning, but that was my mission."

"Was it from The Sand?" Gaara said quietly.

Blayne shook his head. "No, it wasn't. I can't tell you who is was from, only that it is very important. I went in there knowing we might die. It was hard, but I went through with it."

"Sou YOU sacrificed OUR lives so YOU could get what YOU wanted?!" Naruto was raged.

Konton was in a smiliar state. "I can't believe you would do something so horrible! We trusted you!"

"Calm down." Konkuro said. "We haven't heard the entire story yet." He looked over at Blayne. "Now, sensei, why did you risk their lives for this? Isn't the Shinobi way to never risk others for the mission?"

"True," Blayne said. "I know exactly what I did. This mission…is of more importance than you know, or than I can even tell you about."

"Well I still cant believe you! You could have at least told us why we were barging in like that?" Naruto yelled.

"Don't worry. We're out alive." He stood up. "We should be close to Galia. Let's continue on. From there, I will let you two be and you can find your friend."

Naruto was in shock. "You're leaving us?"

"I have to. I'm sorry. There is some very important business I must take care of in Galia."

"Konton grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him. "Let's get out of here. I'm tired and confused and want to sleep."

Naruto followed obediently. Blayne, Gaara, Konkuro, and Temari all followed afterwards.

The traveled on the rest of that day and through the night. The terrain began to break away from the valley. After nightfall, they arrived at a great lake. It spread massively across the horizon. Its waters shimmered white and blue from the reflection of the bright moon.

"This is Lake Mugen. Once we cross this, we will be in Galia. You can't see it now, but in the daytime rooftops can be seen from here."

"This must be a huge city." Temari said. "We're still at least ten miles away."

"It's very big. You can get lost easily, if your not careful."

"Didn't you say we were going to catch a ferry?" Naruto asked.

Blayne nodded. "It's right up here. Follow me."

The group walked toward the lake.

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Lee and Kirai sat by a furnace inside an otherwise dark house. Kakashi lay in a bed beside them, now conscious and listening. They had ran the remainder of the day until they had arrived at dusk in a small Hamlet near the City of Galia. There, they rented a room at the inn and Kirai began to work on Kakashi. The wounds were thorough, but none deadly. A rib was broken, but that was as serious as it had gotten. Kirai, whom Lee found to be adept at healing skills, quickly healed him up.

"To heal somebody so fast costs me my chakra use for the next few days." He told Lee. "But we can still travel is you friend is healed."

"We?" Lee asked. "You're going with us?"

Kirai sighed. "That beast was known as Deimos. He was a weapon of the _Eisei Fushi_."

"Those are the people who took over The Leaf Village!" Lee said. "What do you know about them!"

"They are after Naruto." Kakashi interjected. "They want his demon."

Kirai looked startled as he turned to Kakashi. "Naruto? Demon? What demon?"

"The nine-tailed fox. Kyuubi. Naruto has been in possession of it since he was an infant."

"Kyuubi?" Kirai said. "That means…Where is this Naruto boy? I have to find him."

"Why do you have to find him?" Kakashi asked. "What do you want with him."

"I can't tell you exactly. Let's just say…he will lead me to another person. Somebody I have to meet up with."

Kakashi attempted to sit up, but Kirai put his hand on him and held him back. "You need your rest. Do not worry. You guys will go with me. I have no clue as to what this boy looks like. I will need your help. I promise I am of no harm to you here. My dealings are with somebody else."

Kakashi sighed. "Only if we go with you. I will not put Naruto in harm for anything."

Kirai looked at the Jonin. "Why are you so attached to him?"

"Because. He is my student. I would do anything for him."

"Kind words." Kirai said. "You must be a fine Shinobi." He walked over to another bed and laid down. "We should rest here tonight. Tomorrow we will go into Galia and find this Naruto."

"First." Lee said. "Tell me who you are."

Kirai only smiled. "I can't. Not yet. All will be revealed. Do not worry."

Lee didn't like the idea, but he couldn't complain. This man had saved his life and nursed his ally back to health. He would trust this guy. Quietly, he sat down on the floor. He had made a bed on the ground an hour ago and rolled over to go to sleep.

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The trees ended in a blur. Shikamaru landed on a cliff high above Lake Mugen. Boats could be seen all across the lake. At the far edge of the horizon, he could see the other side of the lake and ferries shipping people to and from the city. To their left, the metropolis of Galia towered over them.

"This place is huge…" Toya said. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"This is the biggest city in the country. Nobody has ever counted, but its rumored to be over a million people."

"Amazing." Chouji said. "That's a lot of food."

Shikamaru laughed. "Always food. All the time."

Sakura stood behind the three guys. "Let's go in. I have to find Naruto."

Shikamaru looked back at her. She hadn't said much since they left the house before. He could see the worry in her eyes. She had been anxious to find Naruto since she had found out previously, and she would stop at nothing to do it. Though she thought of Sasuke as her love, she had always thought of Naruto as her best friend. He would do anything for her, Shika knew, and he knew from the look of her eyes she would do anything for him.

"You're right. We should go. If Naruto is here, we should find him as soon as possible. If we get enough help. We might even be able to take Konoha back."

Shikamaru walked back toward the forest and began to steer toward the city. "Let's go."

Silently, the others followed Shikamaru to the city.

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Naruto jumped off the boat. "Finally." He said to himself.

The city of Galia was big. Really big. The buildings towered above Konoha. Beautifully laid out, Galia was the most amazing thing Naruto had ever seen.

Blayne led them into the city walls. It was a bustling city. People were running everywhere, everybody in a hurry. Business was so much a part of this town that the crowds were always full. Travel was hard in the city, but it would be easy to hide in a place such as this.

_Harder for me to find Sasuke._ Naruto thought.

Blayne stopped walking abruptly. "Well, I must part from you guys now."

Naruto sighed. "Whatever. Do what you wish."

Blayne looked back. "Gaara, Konkuro, Temari. I have a job for you guys."

The three of them looked up, anxious to hear of their next job.

"You will act as these two's bodyguards. The _Eisei Fushi_ are after these two. Help them find their friend and bring them back to Konoha. I will come back when I can."

Without waiting for a word of confirmation, Blayne walked off into the crowd, disappearing with the masses.

Naruto looked on for a second, then turned back to the others.

"We should go." He said quietly.

Konton looked at the boy. She felt sorry for him. She could tell he felt like he was never going to see Blayne again.


	18. Naruto Missing! Blayne's Plan?

The group walked through the city streets, careful not to intervene with the crowds of people. The bustling city was something Naruto had taken an immediate disliking towards. He felt much more comfortable being in his own space and able to see the sky.

Behind him walked Gaara, followed by the others standing more side-by-side. It was the second day in the city. After Blayne departed, they found an inn and quickly got a room before they were full. The group decided to sleep immediately, as they were all worn out from the journey. Little talking was done that night.

The next day they woke up and agreed to search the city.

"The ANBU should be here, somewhere." Naruto said. "I'm going to look around, try to find him."

"Good luck finding any one person in this place." Temari had told him.

So now they walked down the street, looking for any clue as to where this ANBU might be. Naruto lead, his hand over his head, as they walked down what seemed to be a wide bazaar.

"Food!" Naruto exclaimed.

Konton sighed. "Here he goes."

Naruto ran off to one stand, almost as if he had smelled it out from the crowd.

"Ramen!" He said to himself. He sat down on a stool and waited anxiously for the server. He was a tall, burly man who looked at home in the streets.

"What can I get ya, kid?" he asked.

"One bowl of the spiciest Ramen you've got, please!"

The man smiled. "I've got just the think for you." He reached back and grabbed a bowl of ramen. "Enjoy, kid!"

Naruto grabbed the chopsticks. "Thank you. How much is it?"

"I've never seen you before, and you look like you are a vivid Ramen fan. First bowl is one me."

Naruto jumped into the bowl and ate it heartily. He finished in seconds. The man watched in awe as the boy devoured the noodles. He looked up. "I want another…"

He fell to the ground. Konton was behind him, her hand held in the air. "Stop fooling around!" She leaned over and picked Naruto off the ground. "We're broke! And your over here buying food like you own the place!"

Naruto grinned. "Heh…sorry!"

They stood up and began to walk away. The man from the stand laughed. "How amuzing."

They continued on down the street. The stands began to change from food to more physical wares: ninja equipment, wood, carvings, weapons, ornaments and the like. The group looked around thoroughly.

Naruto walked out ahead and looked at one stand. There were silver shirukens laid out all across the table. Naruto looked in amusement.

Suddenly a man from behind bumped him sideways. "Hey!" Naruto said as he turned around. The man wore black robes and was walking away down an alley. Without thinking, Naruto followed him down the alley.

The surrounding grew darker as Naruto advanced down the passageway. The glowing eyes of the homeless could be seen in the dark corners of houses. Naruto tried not to look at them, but his eyes were drawn to theirs, and looking at them gave the boy an awkward feeling.

At the end of the alley the man stood, this time another man dressed identical stood beside him. Naruto paused and drew a kunai. He wasn't taking any chances with these guys.

One of the men stepped foreward. "It's alright." Came a familiar voice.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

The figure grabbed their hood and unveiled their face. Naruto was astonished at what he saw.

Shizune smiled. "I'm your ANBU."

Naruto walked over to the robed Shizune and stopped. "Why didn't Granny Tsunade tell me is was you!" He yelled.

Shizune covered her ears and yelled back. "I'm guessing somebody probably ran out in a hurry and forgot to ask exactly WHO he was looking for."

Naruto sighed. "You got me." He looked over at the other figure, still dressed in robes. They were about equal in height.

"Who is this?" Naruto asked.

The other figure stepped foreward and pulled down his hood.

"Just reinforcements." Neji Hyuga replied. "After you ran off so suddenly, Tsunade send me after you." He came foreward to stand beside Shizune. "Yet somehow I managed to beat you here and find Shizune."

Naruto smiled. "It's a very long story. I've gotten in way over my head." Naruto told them.

"Then you will have to tell us your story." Neji said.

Shizune agreed. "Follow us."

"Wait, I have to go get…" Before he could finish they had gone. Naruto sighed and followed.

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"Man, look at all the people." Chouji said. His mouth spoke of people, but his eyes were on another. "And the food!"

"You can eat all you want later. First we have to find Naruto." Sakura told him.

"Yeah, she's right. We should find Naruto as soon as possible, before it gets dark." Shikamaru replied.

The group had been walking half the day around the city. Each were amazed by the size, but nobody chose to show it. They were determined to find Naruto and regroup. They found themselves on the east side of the city by the lake. A large Market had been put up all across the street. Food, clothing, and supply stands covered the street. Ahead, the large Eastern Gate stood tall.

"You!" Came a voice to their right. Shikamaru looked over. An old, hunched over woman stood staring at them. Her finger was pointed as Shikamaru.

"You have power! Leave this place, now! They will get you! Everybody!"

Shikamaru stared at her. The group had stopped walking now. "What are you talking about, lady?" he asked.

"Yea. Who is coming to get us?" Toya asked.

"The Genji! They are here! The city is cursed!"

Sakura looked as Shikamaru. "What's a Genji?"

"Beats me." He looked back at the lady. "What's a Genji?"

"They are bad news! They only appear when something bad is about the happen! They are here. The city is doomed!"

"They? So they must be a group of people or something." Sakura replied.

"They are a cult! Only a select few, but they are here! We're all doomed to death if we stay! We must leave!" she rambled on.

"Wait a second." Chouji said. "How can you tell who is a Genji?"

"You can feel it! You can feel their energy! They have power!"

Shikamaru wanted to laugh. "I'm sorry, lady, but we're in a hurry." He looked back at the others. "Let's go."

They began to walk away. From behind, the lady still spoked. "Beware of the Genji!"

Shikamaru couldn't ignore the fact that something in his instincts told him to keep cautious.

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Gaara looked around the bazaar. Naruto was nowhere to be found. "He's completely disappeared…"

Konton stood closely behind him. "He has to be somewhere. He couldn't have just disappeared."

Konkuro ran up to them from the left. "He's not over there. I don't see any sign of him."

Temari then came up from the right. "Not here, either. Where could the twerp had gone?"

Konton looked up at the sky. "We have to find him." The sun was slowly beginning to go down now. Late afternoon was falling on them, and soon night would come. If that happened, they would have to return to the inn and abandon the search for a day. In that amount of time, Naruto could be out of the city. Konton prayed he was just on one of his stupid crusades and hadn't been captured or found.

She forced herself to stop thinking about the worst. "Let's keep searching." She told the others.

Gaara nodded. "Where do we search for him at?"

"Follow me." Konton said. She jumped and went down an alley. The sand ninjas followed her obediently. At the start of the alley, she jumped up on the roof and looked around. "Let's go roof to roof and see what we can find. This way we can also see each other, as the crowds won't get in the way."

The others nodded and dispersed.

Konton stood where she was at for a second longer. "I wish Blayne were still here. He would know what to do."

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On the far side of the city, Blayne sat in a bar sipping a cup of saki. He had been waiting all day in this exact spot for them to arrive. At last they did.

A hooded man walked in the door and sat down beside him at the bar. "A cup of saki, please." He requested.

The bartender poured a cup full and slid it down the table to the man, who threw a coin the bartender.

"It's about time you showed up." The man told Blayne. "I've been waiting three days, now."

Blayne smiled. "I would have been here yesterday, but I was worn out. I wanted to sleep. My apologies."

The man shrugged. "You're here now. That's what matters."

Blayne nodded. "So what is the status?"

"They have gathered even more power since before. They are starting to create….monsters. They are extremely powerful. Kirai had to put up quite a bit of effort."

"That's not good. Kirai is the most experienced of all of us."

"True," the man replied. "But you are the strongest. Our hope rests on you."

Blayne smiled. "Thanks for not putting pressure on me." He sipped his saki. "The boy is here."

"Good. Now we have to find out how to get him to the spot." The other man said.

"I have the bait ready." Blayne said.

"Oh really? What is it?"

"Well, the bait doesn't know that he is the bait, so I can't tell you."

The other man smiled. "Always full of mysteries."

"You know me better than anybody, Kujo." Blayne told him.

Kujo stood up. "Tomorrow night was the only night I could get. You have to have him there by then."

Blayne nodded. "I will have him there. And it will all fall into place."

"Alright. I trust you, Blayne." Kujo began to walk out the door. Blayne sat motionless.

"Poor Naruto." He said. "I'm sorry were making you do all the work."

At last he finished his Saki. He stood up from the bar and exited the room.


	19. Mysterious Shadow: Found At Last!

"And that's what has happened." Naruto explained. "Pretty rough."

Shizune stood against the wall, her arms crossed and her face down, carefully listening to Naruto's story.

"It's so outlandish I have to believe it." She said. "So where are Gaara and the others now?"

"I was going to go back and get them but you two ran off without giving me any time." He replied.

The three had darted across buildings and through alleys to a small abandoned building on the far side of town. Shizune led Naruto and Neji into the room and there she quietly interrogated Naruto's story out of them. Naruto carefully explained all that had befallen in the past week. Shizune watched and listened anxiously to all he had to say.

"This Blayne is obviously of some importance. We should speak to him and get what's going on." Neji commented.

"Well he just up and left us yesterday. I have no clue where he is at now."

"I doubt he has left the city yet." Shizune said.

"Well I have to go find Gaara and Konton and then we can go find Sasuke."

Neji smiled. "You don't have to look for him. He's in Galia."

Naruto smiled. "He's here! All right! Where is he? Let's go."

"Not so fast." Shizune said. "He is in the city, yes, but we cannot just walk up to him. He has been hiding from us very deliberately. Trust me. If we could have already gotten a hold of him, we would have."

"Then how are we going to get him?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not sure, but you're the bait. We will draw him out with your presence. He will come to you."

Naruto balled up his fist. "I hope so…" The smile was gone and replaced with a hard look.

Neji observed Naruto. He could tell that he took this seriously. It was what he had been waiting for. This was the moment he had lived for the past year. He wouldn't fail. He couldn't. Naruto had taught Neji to never give up. Neji had learned a lot from Naruto, and the Hyuga knew Naruto would never give up until Sasuke was saved. But what if Sasuke didn't want to be saved? What if he was content? What if he wouldn't allow Naruto to be saved? He knew Naruto wouldn't let this set him back, and he would try until he fell to save his best friend.

"Let's go find the sand ninjas. I'm sure they will help us devise a plan." Shizune said.

Naruto nodded. "I'm going to look for them now. They are probably worried about me."

Neji put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "No, you need to go with me." He replied.

Naruto looked back at him. "But I have to go find…"

"I will find them." Shizune said. "You go with Neji. He obviously needs your help."

"Yes, I will." Neji nodded. "You have to help me find Blayne. I have no clue as to what he looks like."

Naruto sighed. "Fine. I'll go with you." He looked at Shizune. "Promise me you will find Konton."

"I will find them and bring them back here." She replied. "When you guys get done, return here also. From here we will devise a plan as to finding and retrieving Sasuke."

Naruto and Neji nodded. "Let's go." Neji said.

Naruto followed Neji out the door, Shizune close behind. The room was left silent.

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Shikamaru's group walked into the central square of the town. Even at night, the city was bustling. They never seemed to sleep. The largest buildings resided here: City Hall, Police department and the Governors house. The group had grown accustomed to the city now, so the sights weren't as impressive as previously. They were more focused on finding Naruto now than anything else. Even Chouji had taken his mind off food for awhile in order to locate his lost comrade.

"Let's split up and search around the Central Square." Shikamaru said. "Maybe there will be a clue here." He knew the chances of finding anything in such a large city were slim.

The group split up. Shikamaru searched north, Chouji south, Toya east, and Sakura west. Sakura arrived in the western area. A large fountain resided there, benches sitting all the way around it. The sight reminded Sakura of home, and suddenly, she wished she was there.

Then she remembered Tsunade and the invasion. She wondered how they were holding out, what had happened since they were thrown out just a few days ago.

She jumped. A shadow flew across the corner of her eye. It was nothing special, but something about it made her jump. Her eyes tried to chase it, but no luck. She stood where she was for a few more seconds, searching carefully for any sign of the shadow. At last she decided it was just a conjuring of her imagination and began to look around again.

It came again, this time out of the other eye. She looked down a large street that led out of the Central Square. A man was running away. No, a Boy.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled. She immediately began to run towards the boy. He had disappeared around the corner, but she followed anyways, intent on finding him.

She ran on, searching desperately for the shadow, it always staying just out of sight. Still she continued. She followed it around a right turn, through a more quiet section of the town. People here were scarce. _This must be a residential area_, she thought scantly as she ran.

She followed him out of the area through a turn left, then down an alley, keeping just out of sight. At last the alley came to a close. On the furthest inlet, a large double-door building. It had the look and feel of a large warehouse or factory.

Sakura stopped and looked around for any other ways the shadow could have gone. She found nothing save the doors. She took a deep breath, then began to walk inside.

It was pitch black inside. No lights were on at all. Only a feint moonlight could be seen through the high windows. Small creaking noises shot off in the distance from time to time. She walked slowly straight, carefully searching for what she believe to be Sasuke.

The lights flashed on. She spun around, looking for any signs of danger. The creaking sound grew now. Ninjas began to spill out from behind boxes, crates, walls, and doors. There were way more than she could count. Thirty, forty at least. Her faced was filled with fear. There was nothing she could do. She was trapped.

"What do we have here? A lonely Konoichi wondering around in a dark alley at night? That isn't a very smart thing to do." Came a voice.

Sakura looked up to where the voice came from. A man stood on top of a tower of boxes. His long black hair flowed into his Dark blue jacket and black undershirt. He carried a sword in his right hand that seemed to be able to pierce through a wall. But perhaps the most sinister sight was the evil glow in his eyes and the crooked smile on his face.

He jumped off the box. "Well, we don't like intruders. We have some very important plans here, and I'm afraid your bothering us." He lifted his hand up and pointed at Sakura.

"Kill her."

The men began to approach Sakura. In a desperate attempt, Sakura pulled out all of her Kunais and launched them into the crowd. A few men fell the the ground, but the majority of them continued on. Sakura began to panic now. This was the end.

The men were within striking distance when the nearest one fell to the ground. The floor began to spill with blood. Instantly another one fell, then another, then two more. The attacking group began to pause now, weary of the danger to them.

A cyclone of sword strikes arose from seemingly nowhere to cause the men to retreat. Sakura, still froze in fear, barely managed to look up at her rescuer. Standing in front of her stood a boy of medium height. He wore blue and silver robes with a large katana in his hand. The spikey, black hair stood tall as the boy looked back at Sakura.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

Sakura smiled with tears in her eyes. "Yea, Sasuke, I'm ok."

Sasuke smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want you to die yet." He pulled out his sword. "Right now, I have something more important to deal with."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where did she go!" Shikamaru yelled. Toya and Chouji ran to him. All three stood in the center of the square.

"She just disappeared! Shikamaru said. "One minute I look over and she was there. The next, shes gone."

"You sent her East, right?" Toya said. "She couldn't have ran past any of us. We would have seen her. She must have left East, then."

Chouji nodded. "Let's go search the East exit. She had to have gone through there."

"Alright." Shikamaru said. "Let's go."

Together they ran to the East exit. They followed the turns, each running as fast as the could through the crowd. They arrived at a junction in the road. One way lead north into another large market area, the other south into a more quiet residential area.

"Now which way?" Toya asked.

"We split up. I'll go north. You two head south. Search every corner."

The two nodded and ran off south into the street. Shikamaru ran off north into the crowded bazaar. He ran on, ignorant to the stands of merchandise and indifferently dodging the crowds of people. People yelled at him as he bumped into them and tried to escape.

Then Shikamaru hit a very hard surface and fell to the ground.

"Hey, watch where your goi….Shikamaru?" he heard.

Shikamaru looked up. Above him, Kakashi stood looking down on the Chuunin with a quizzical look on his face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he offered his hand to help him up.

Shikamaru accepted and Kakashi lifted him back to his feet. "Long story. Right now we're looking for Sakura. Has she gone this way?"

"Sakura is here, too? Who else is here? This is confusing." Kakashi said.

Lee walked up beside Kakashi. Beside him stood another man, this one of older age, wearing a long, brown overcoat and a spear tied to his back. "Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"No time. Has Sakura come through here? We lost her a minute ago."

"No, she hasn't. If she had, I would have seen her." Kakashi said.

"Then she must have gone south…" Shikamaru said quietly to himself. Then he turned back and began to run. "Follow me!"

Lee looked at Kakashi, who simply shrugged and began to follow. Lee silently followed Kakashi, Kirai close behind.


	20. Byakugan and Rasengan! Battle Time!

Blayne awoke at the sound of the knock on his window. He looked over quickly and silently, his eyes accustomed to the night. Kujo was standing on a balcony.

"What is he doing here?" Blayne said quietly to himself. He jumped out of bed and put on his undershirt, then went to the window and opened it silently.

"What's going on?" Blayne asked.

Kujo held one finger over his mouth. "No time to talk. It has begun."

Blayne eyes opened wide. He was now fully awake. "Guess they are one step ahead of us again."

Kujo nodded. "They found him not an hour ago. He ran right into the trap."

"Damn…" Blayne commented. "Our plans have failed then."

They sat in silence for a moment. Finally Kujo asked, "So what are we going to do?"

Blayne thought for a moment. "Go get the police. Have them take care of the mass."

Kujo looked at him dumfounded. "But they won't stand a chance against Shimzai. He could take them out with the snap of a finger."

Blayne nodded. "But we don't need them to take out Shimzai. Just the renegades and flunkies. We will take care of him. Just go get the police and lead them there."

"What about you?" Kujo asked.

"I'm going to find Naruto and lead him there. He is our greatest hope."

"Are you sure leading him to the people that want to find him is such a good idea."

"Nope."

Kujo laughed. "Very well then. Good luck." He turned around and jumped across the rooftops. Blayne watched him as he left. "Good luck." He said back, knowing he couldn't hear him. Then he quietly went back into the room to get dressed.

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Naruto and Neji ran down a back alley on the South section of the city when they saw police swarming down the main road of the city. The moon shone bright during the night. It was already around midnight. Naruto watched as they marched across the road. "This is going to be a long night." He said to himself.

"Yes, it will." Neji replied. He looked around for a moment. "This way." He said, pointing away from the police. "There will be too much to hinder us that way. Let's stick to the off roads for now."

"It would be better if we knew where he was at." Naruto said. "Why did he leave us?"

Neji said nothing, running on ahead. Naruto followed close behind. The followed the old road across the city. It lead to a large building. They were on the western side of the city, Naruto noticed.

Both stopped as Neji began to look around.

"Byakugan!" Neji roared. The veins flared up and Neji once again regained the mighty vision he possessed.

He searched around thoroughly for any signs of charka. At last he stopped to the north. "Found something." He stated.

"Where?" Naruto said as he looked back at the Hyuga.

"Behind that building. Perhaps it's him. It shows a very high level of Chakra."

"What do we have to lose?" Naruto replied.

Neji laughed. "Our lives." He released the Byakugan and looked at Naruto. "Let's go see."

Naruto nodded. Together they ran around the large building and down a small alley. The moon did not reach here, causing the entire walk to be shrouded in complete darkness. Naruto could hear the police marching in the distance, and he couldn't help wonder what they were doing. If it had something to do with Blayne or Sasuke, then this problem was much larger than he had anticipated.

They arrived at the end of the alley. A lone figure lay on the ground, bloody and beaten. He wore the Galia logo of lightning on his headband, signifying he was a Policeman. Naruto approached the figure, who sensed them coming and raised his head.

"Leave here…before he managed to get out. He collapsed again onto the ground, dying before his face could land.

"What did this?" Neji said quietly.

A roar came from above. The two ninjas look up to the roof. Above them stood a giant beast, no, a demon. His skin was rough and gray and his eyes glowed bright red. Black claws gleamed from the knuckles of his heavy fists. He was a horrifying sight to say the least.

"What is it?" Naruto asked to himself. "It's a…beast…a monster."

The thing jumped off the roof and landed in front of the body. It let a sharp roar that burst into the eardrums of Neji and Naruto.

Neji crouched down into the Gentle Fist stance. "I don't think it's going to let us go easily." He said.

Naruto nodded and positioned himself ready to fight. "Then let's not give it any choice in the matter."

Then it charged. Its humanlike figure rushed the two ninja. Neji jumped out of the way and bounced off the wall to the left. Naruto stood his ground and attempted to gain the inside advantage on the monster. The beast slashed his claws at the boy, who barely managed to dodge the blow. Neji came from the side and struck the monster in the side, causing it to fall of Naruto, who jumped back up and ready.

"We have to work together to get out of this. His strength is unbearable." Neji stated.

Naruto put his hand back behind him. "Let's get this over with fast." Two shadow clones appeared behind him and began to shape the chakra into the bright, blue ball known as Rasengan.

"Occupy him. Keep him still and ill get him!" Naruto informed Neji.

The monster began to charge again. Neji stood in front of Naruto and prepared to take the blow. He came with claws slashing. Neji brought up his arms to block the attack. The contact sent Neji sliding backwards, but he never lost his feet. Still the beast continued to attack. Neji jumped to the left this time, rolling on the ground and sending a sweeping kick into the monster. He lost his balance and hit the ground.

Neji saw the opportunity and launched his assault.

"Byakugan!" he screamed as the veins came out and he gained his powerful vision. He jumped into the air and came down on the beast, his palms outward for the strike. He sent the blows into the beasts chakra points, causing it to scream in pain. Neji saw the pain and continued to strike.

At last the monster threw Neji into the air and came to his feet. As the boy fell down, he sent his claws flying into his body, sending in flying through the air into the wall. The beast roared in pain and triumph.

"Rasengan!" came the voice to his right.

Naruto was there, standing only feet away, his powerful blow already screaming toward the beasts torso.

It his with awesome force and sent the beast flying into the back wall of the building, screaming in pain once again. Naruto stood where he was, watching the beast land on the ground.

Neji slowly rose from the side. "Good job." He said lightly to Naruto.

Naruto nodded. "He's not dead yet."

The beast stood again. He looked at his opponents and roared once more.

"It looks like it's not even hurt." Neji said. "It has amazing willpower."

The beast opened his mouth and screamed once more. This time, chakra began to glow from his mouth and a beam of light shot out toward Naruto. It flew at amazing speed.

"Naruto!" Neji yelled.

All Naruto could do was watch. The beam came so fast he hadn't even realized the danger he was in. His eyes were wide open as his fate drew near.

Then the beam shot up into the air. A man stood in front of him, his hand out from where he blocked the blast. He wore a combination of black and red. Naruto stared for a moment more until he finally realized what had happened.

"Get out of here. There is a Warehouse on the west side of the city. Somebody you know is there, and they are in trouble. Go save them." Blayne said with a smile as he looked back. "I'll handle this monster."

Naruto nodded. "Alright." He said with confidence. He looked at Neji, who nodded silently. Together, they both ran out of the alley.

Blayne turned around again to face the monster. "Your…ugly." He said. "I'm already tired of looking at you. I think its time you leave."

He drew his sword.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sasuke stood tall, his sword in the air. A dozen bloody bodies lay around he and Sakura. Dozens more stood in the darkness, waiting for their chance to strike. Sasuke was a strong opponent, they realized. They would have to wait for their chance to take him down.

Shimzai stood high on the tower of boxes. The same dark smile was still cursing his face. "You've got power, Sasuke. Great power."

Sasuke smiled at the comment. "I realize that. It's your henchmen who haven't figured it out yet. Why don't you inform them of that?"

Shimzai laughed. "Do you know where you get your power from?"

Sasuke dropped his smile. "I am a member of the Uchiha clan. We are the pride of the Hidden Leaf Village. I am naturally more talented than most. Especially you."

"You have spunk, too." He jumped down from his tower and began to walk toward Sasuke. "Your only partially correct. You see, your much like your friend. Much like him, though you never realized it."

Sasuke was confused. "What are you talking about? You don't know anything about me."

Shimzai stopped walking. He stood a dozen feet away from Sasuke. Sakura stood behind her rescuer, her eyes focused on the man in front of them.

"The nine-tailed boy, Naruto. You're just like him."

"I'm nothing like him!" Sasuke said. "He is weak! I am strong!"

"You both possess them. Demons, that is. Naruto, the nine-tailed brat, and Sasuke, you possess Raiden, the thunder demon. That is what gives you your power!"

Sasuke's eyes grew wide. A demon! Inside of him? He couldn't believe it. It must have been a lie.

"You will die!" Sasuke yelled across the room.

Shimzai laughed again. "No, boy. You will come with me. I will have your demon. Then, you will die." He pointed at Sasuke. "Get them!" he yelled.

The henchmen began to move foreword again.


	21. AntiEnergy: Chakra is your Enemy!

Konton ran down the street, not even attempting to dodge the people in her way. Gaara, Temari and Konkuro were close behind. The darkness had fallen on the city now and the people were beginning to fade. A sound of marching came from the main street, and Konton was running to see what was happening.

They arrived at the main street. Konton stopped suddenly, the sand ninjas just behind her. On the street, dozens of police ninja were marching their way foreward. The people stood on the side of the street watching in awe with them at what was happening.

Without warning, Konton took off again. She ran down the side of the street parallel to the march until she raced ahead of them. Then she stopped to catch her breath. She wasn't as fit as her bodyguards, who had finally managed to catch up to her.

"What's going on here?" Konton asked.

A man standing beside them from the crowd looked at the girl. "There is a big ruckus on the west side. A large group of hostile ninjas in a warehouse. A man informed the police it was an emergency. Guess he was right. They're sending the whole force."

"That bad?" Temari said.

"Yea, that bad." The man said.

"I wonder if it has something to do with Naruto?" Konton said.

"Or Blayne." Gaara said.

Konton looked at Gaara, who only nodded silently. They took off again together. Konkuro and Temari paused for a moment.

"Hey! Come on!" Konkuro yelled, then they began to follow.

The group ran on ahead of the police. The streets were open now, making travel much easier. They followed the main street as it curved to the northwest. Konton led the way, Gaara close behind. Temari and Konkuro were still catching up.

"Can you sense them?" Konton asked.

Gaara nodded. "I can, but its not Naruto or Blayne. It's somebody else. Somebody…familiar."

Konton replied. "Whoever it is, it might have something to do with them still. We should go check it out."

"I agree." Gaara jumped ahead of Konton and took the lead. Konton followed silently. Temari and Konkuro finally caught up to the girl. "Do you think it's the _Eisei Fushi_?" Konkuo asked.

"Something tells me it is. That's why I think Blayne and Naruto will be there, eventually."

They ran on through the lonely streets.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Sasuke sliced through another of the oncoming ninja. He cut directly through the wrist, causing his hand to fall off and he screamed in pain as he fell to the floor directly after. He had already taken down a dozen more, but they were closing in too fast now. Each person was getting closer to landing a hit. He was wearing down.

He sheathed his sword and put his hands together in front of his mouth. He breathed in deep as more ninjas approached.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" he yelled.

Then he exhaled a massive array of flames onto the approaching enemies. Some were caught in the jutsu and fell to the ground in pain, some managed to jump back and dodge the blow altogether.

At the end of the blow, Sasuke put his hands down and stood still. Sakura came up behind him. Shimzai appeared from the smoke, directly in front of them.

"You're really good." He spoke. "It appears as if my henchman aren't going to be able to handle you."

He placed his hands together and held them to his mouth. He bit into one finger and a drop of blood fell to the ground.

"Summoning Technique! Spawn of the World!"

The ground from underneath him turned bright red. Large, dark figures began to rise through the ground itself. Sakura moved closer behind Sasuke.

"What is that?" she asked.

Sasuke took a step back, moving Sakura also. The ninja around them began to flee in terror. Their loyalties to Shimzai were not so firm, after all.

The forms finally finished their transformation and stood on the ground. The one on the left was a smaller, humanlike figure. He had long, dark, green hair and wore black Shinobi gear. A dark green cape was attached to his shoulders, and a very long, crooked dagger was attached to his waist.

The second figure was much larger, well over twice Sasuke's height. He had a rough, scarred face and wore heavy body-armor. A large axe was thrown across his back. His hands looked as if they had the power to crush steel. Though much more intimidating, the smaller figure appeared to be the smarter of the two, though both proved to be quite demonic in appearance.

"Those guys are strong." Sasuke stated. "I can feel their chakra from here."

Shimzai smiled. "These aren't ordinary henchman. They are demons, created by me and the_ Eisei Fushi_. I would like to see you take them down.!"

The smaller demon stepped foreward. "I am Kashaku, the master of speed."

Next the larger. "I am Chouson, the god of strength."

Sasuke smiled. "I don't care who you are. I will kill you both."

Shimzai laughed. "Good luck trying! These two are the ultimate fighters. They care nothing for mercy or methods. You will be mine before you realize what you're in for." He looked at Kashaku and Chouson. "I want him alive. You can torture him all you want, but make sure he is still breathing for the operation."

Kashaku nodded. "As you wish, master."

Sasuke unsheathed his sword once more. "Just try me!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The monster charged Blayne, chakra blasts raging from his mouth like blades of lightning. Blayne brought his sword up to block the blasts. As the demon approached, it jumped high in the air. Blayne jumped with the demon, prepared to meet it in mid-air. He held his sword in his left hand and began to charge chakra to his right.

"Defense! Mist Shroud Jutsu!" he raised his hand and unleashed the chakra, which, instead of shooting out like an attack, flared into a bright blue smoke, emitting the entire alley in mist.

The demon roared at the change in scenery. _Perfect_, Blayne thought. _It can't detect me_! He fell back to the ground and jumped behind the demon, then jumped into the air. He grabbed his sword with both hands and charged the demon, When he arrived, he swung the sword down on the monster and sent it flying into the ground. He unleashed another wild scream as he landed.

Blayne followed through with his strike and began to descend, his sword still in striking position. He screamed toward the ground. The beast jumped up and began to summon chakra. Then it leaped into the air to meet Blayne once again. This time, Blayne once again swung his blade at the demon, but before he could land the attack, the beast began to glow a bright red. Suddenly, it exploded, letting off an explosion of powerful force.

Blayne dropped his sword and fell to the ground, pain surging through his veins. He landed and bounced into a wall. The smoke began to clear as he lost focus. He looked up. The beast could not be seen. After a moment, he began to rise slowly, clearly in pain.

"He…commited Hara Kiri." Blayne laughed. "Well I survived, so I guess he failed." He walked over to where his sword was and bent over slowly to pick it up.

"I'm glad I made it in time. If Naruto and that other one had been here when he exploded…" he didn't want to think of that miserable thought.

An awkward sound came from the back of the alley. Blayne turned and looked to where the sound was coming from. Chakra began to gather into a ball that floated in mid-air.

"What is this?" Blayne said to himself.

The ball turned dark red as more chakra began to gather. Then it began to take shape.

Blayne's eyes opened in shock. "It's reforming! But how…?"

Just as he suspected, the beast slowly began to return to form. As it finished, it's body slammed back on the ground. No scratches were on its body.

"Amazing."

The monster looked at Blayne and let out its terrible roar, then began to charge again.

"Well isn't this just great?" Blayne growled. He pulled his sword back up into striking position. "Let's try this again." He began to summon chakra into his sword. It slowly began to spark like lightning. At last, the sword was glowing and emitting flares of chakra.

As soon as the demon was within striking distance, Blayne sent his sword through the monster with an uppercut. The monster began to glow bright again.

"What I thought!" Blayne jumped away as the monster exploded once again. He barely managed to escape the blast and landed on one knee. He watched after the explosion as the chakra began to radiate around the room.

Then he noticed. One large ball of chakra still floated where the beast had stood as it exploded. Blayne smiled. "Got ya."

He released all chakra from his sword and approached the small ball. Without a word, the lifted his sword and stabbed the ball. It exploded on contact. The chakra from around the room began to dissipate.

"That takes care of that problem." Blayne said. A sharp pain came through his torso. He grabbed his stomach. "It must have hit me more than I thought." He looked at his stomach where the pain came from. A large gash of blood cut into his stomach.

"Great." He pulled down his shirt and began to walk out of the alley. "I can't let him down."

Silently, he walked away.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura stepped back from Sasuke. The demons in from of them smiled. "Scared, are you, little girl?" Kashaku asked.

Sasuke looked back at Sakura. "Get out of here. Go get help. I'll take care of these two."

Sakura grabbed Sasuke's arm. "Are you sure? I can feel their chakra flowing. They are….so powerful."

Sasuke smiled. "I'm not too bad, either. Just go, please."

Sakura nodded, then turned and ran back towards the entrance. The demons looked at Shimzai, who smiled. "We can't just let her go. Go get her, Chouson."

The large demon nodded. "As you wish." The armored beast put his hands together and made the signs. Then his disappeared.

He instantly reappeared in front of the retreating Sakura. Sakura froze in fear at the sight of the awesome monster. He smiled at her. "You're mine" He reached from behind him and pulled out his battle axe. Sakura could only look on in fear.

He raised the axe high in the air and began to bring it down on the hopeless figure. He brought it down with a powerful force and let out a cry of effort upon the swing.

But it stopped three feet before it hit Sakura. She opened her eyes. Two hands held the battle axe in place. She searched anxiously to discover who her savior was. She found him directly in front of her.

The valiant Chouji stood, both hands in the air, using all his energy to hold back the powerful Chouson's blow.

"Now! Toya!" he yelled.

Then Toya appeared out from behind the giant, two kunais on his hands. Chakra was being charged to each one as he leaped in the air. He fell down on Chouson and jammed the kunais into his back. They slid though his armor and the monster let out a shrill cry.

This gave Chouji enough time and leverage to through the axe away from Chouson. Then he extended his right hand back and summoned chakra into it.

"Partial Body expansion Jutsu!" he yelled. He swung his arm foreword, which instantly expanded and launched into the giants stomach. He fell backwards and slid on his back to the wall.

Toya landed beside Chouji and Sakura. Chouji looked back at the girl. "We've got your back."

On the other side of the room, Sasuke and Shimzai watched as the chubby ninja fought valiantly against Chouson. Sasuke looked back at Kashaku and smiled. "Now, I think its time we get down to business."

Kashaku stood still, no emotion on his face. "It's your death. If you're so insistent, then shall we begin?"

Sasuke nodded, and then charged.


	22. Back Alley Brawl! Together Again!

Naruto and Neji emerged into the central square and stopped, each looking around.

"Neji." Naruto said. "Can you use your Byakugan? We have to find this warehouse."

Neji nodded and flared up his powers again. He searched around the city through the people searching for the right chakra levels. He noticed that there were much fewer people around than before. It must be close to midnight.

Then he jumped and looked off to the right. Naruto took a step foreword. "What's wrong?"

Neji focused directly to a certain point. "I found multiple very large chakra sources in a building not far from here. These are extremely large. However, there are dozens of weaker ones running away from the larger ones. I wonder what that is about?"

"I bet it's the citizens running away in fear." Naruto replied.

"No." Neji said. "It isn't that. These are much stronger than the average citizens."

"Let's go check it out. I bet somebody is in trouble."

"But Blayne said to go to the warehouse." Neji interjected.

"I know, but we can't let those guys run around the city recklessly. They might be part of the same plot."

Naruto took a step foreword. "Besides, I can use my Shadow Clones to hold them off while you get inside the warehouse."

"Wait." Neji interrupted.

"What now?" Naruto said impatiently.

Neji scanned around the city some more. "There are other powers about to engage the large group." He squinted his eyes together. "One of them is Lee!"

Naruto smiled. "That means we aren't alone!"

Neji nodded in confirmation. "Let them take care of the group." He shifted his focus back to the warehouse. "We need to get inside there."

Naruto and Neji looked at each other and nodded, then both began to run across the central square.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lee jumped into the air to avoid a sweeping kick, then thrusted his own attack downward on the ninja's head. He landed and turned immediately, raising his hand to thwart a punch from a ninja behind him. He jumped once again to kick the other ninja in the face, sending him flying to the ground.

"Lee! To your right!" He heard Kakshi roar over the fighting. He turned and blocked another blow, then thrust his knee into the torso of another enemy. He fell to the ground quietly.

They had ran on towards the warehouse when a swarm of ninjas crawled out of the warehouse screaming in fear. They soon attempted to unleash their anger on the four ninjas in front of them, Lee, Kakashi, Shikamaru, and the enigmatic Kirai. Leaving them no other option, the four began to fight for their lives, outnumbered over ten-to-one.

Lee managed to avoid another attack and rolled over to Shikamaru, who was struggling to keep his ground again a four-on-one volley. He picked his foot up and jumped, his attack landing squarely into the head of the nearest ninja. This surprised took all attention off Shikamaru, who managed to slip a kunai into the far ninjas torso and knock the second and third to their feet.

"Thanks, Lee." He said.

"Not a problem." He managed to get out before more were on them.

The battle continued on. The moon was high in the sky and the street lights flickered as more ninjas poured out and surrounded the four. They were beginning to wear down, and sooner rather than later, they would be overtaken.

Kirai was off to the left, his spear swinging out of his right hand at the ninjas as the came. He kicked another from behind as he approached and stabbed another from the front. He then pulled the spear out of his chest and swung it in a wide arc, attempting to separate himself from the horde.

"Kakashi!" He yelled out before they were back on him.

He fought on for a few more seconds, carefully defending himself from the daggers and blades. At last, Kakashi appeared from the left.

"Yea?" he asked.

They put their backs to eachother. "We aren't going to last very long!" Kirai said.

"I noticed. Cant you use one of your techniques?"

Kirai nodded. "I wont risk our lives and the city."

Lee and Shikamaru appeared to each side and took up positions to help defend.

"I'm wore out." Shikamaru said as he deflected a blow.

"Just keep fighting!" Kakashi said.

They continued defending and attacking. Each time the hordes would rush them, and each time they would repel them, only each time they would regroup and charge again sooner than before. They weren't doing as much damage as they were. It was only a matter of time until they fell.

Kirai held up his spear and began to emit chakra from his hands, which slowly entered the spear. He then grabbed it with both hands and began to swing it fast above his head.

"Chakra Shiruken Jutsu!"

He threw the spinning spear of chakra into the crowd. It knocked back everyone around them as it flew in circles around them. The spear finally flew back into his hands, high above the rest of the group. Some of the ninjas stayed down, but many got back up and began to charge again.

"Damn." Kirai muttered.

"Looks like this is it." Lee said.

"Don't say that." Kakashi said. "You never know. There might be a miracle."

Shikamaru laughed. "Miracle, huh?" He placed his hands together and began to summon chakra.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He yelled as his shadow shot through the crowd. Dozens in front of Shikamaru froze from the jutsu. Then he turned around. "Everyone! When they get close enough to touch from this direction, charge!"

The others froze for a second, but Kakashi nodded at last. "Alright. I understand."

The group waited for the enemies to seemingly be on top of them, then began to charge as one large form through the center of the lines. Behind them, the frozen shadow-possessed enemies began to run with them into their own allies.

In the middle, Shikamaru began to swing his arm freely, causing his pawns to attack. The people began to fall quickly. Their group gained the freedom away from the crowd before Shikamaru lost control of the mass of people and they came to their senses once again.

The group turned around. There were still over fifty of these men standing, and this time they would not be fooled so easily. The began to charge once more, this time in an orderly fashion. Shikamaru breathed heavily as they approached.

"That took…everything out of me." He said under his breath.

"Then it looks like we will have to fight them off like normal." Lee said. "I don't have any abilities suitable for such a large crowd."

Then men approached, their weapons drawn. This would probably be their final stand, Kakashi thought. If they could just somehow get out of this…

Then the unexpected happened. The soldiers looked up in the air and quizzical looks covered their face. Kiria looked up to where they were looking at.

"Sand?" he said questionably.

Kakashi and the others turned around now. Tidal waves of sand poured from the street and rushed over their heads directly onto the enemy soldiers. They were smothered and carried away by the sand high up in the air.

"Look! Up there!" Shikamaru yelled.

Lee looked over. The shadow master was pointing high up on the roof where a red haired figure stood watching over, the giant gourd attached to his back.

"Gaara!" Lee said excitedly.

The sand began to form together and squeeze the life out of its victoms. Gaara held up his hand and squeezed his fist together.

"Time to die." He muttered. Then he took his hand inward and extended his hand out, his palm opened up. The sand burst out and fell all over the ground below. The ninjas inside were nowhere to be found.

After the sand subsided, Lee and the others walked out into the middle of the street.

They were still in shock that somebody, let alone Gaara of the Desert, had found them.

"Hey!" came a yell from their right.

The group looked over. Temari, Konkuro, and a beautiful, black haired girl, came running out of the alley. Gaara jumped down from the rooftop and the group joined at last.

"What is going on here?" Kakashi asked.

The black haired girl sighed. "It's a long story."

"Where is Naruto?" Gaara asked.

"And Blayne?" Konkuro finished.

Kirai looked at the boy alarmingly. "Did you say Blayne?"

Konkuro nodded. "What about him?"

"And Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, they are all here. Why are you guys here?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Long story, and long stories are a pain we don't have time for. So Naruto is here?"

The black haired girl nodded. "Yes, he's here. We have been looking for him forever. He left us the second day in the city and we haven't been able to find him since."

Kirai looked around at everybody. "So many people I don't know. Let me tell you a little something about all of this."

The group looked up at the big man, who sat down on the ground and began to speak.


	23. Sacrifice! A Bitter Farewell!

Chouji charged the giant armored demon, who brought up his hands in an X-shape to block. The chubby ninja rammed himself into Chouson and sent his sliding backwards. Toya came up behind him and landed a kick to his head, causing him to fall over. Chouson regained his equilibrium quickly and returned to his feet very nimbly for a large figure. He swung his axe at Toya, who dodged the attack easily.

From afar, Sakura threw three Kunai at Chouson. The metal fell off without even damaging him. Chouson grabbed his axe with both hands and summoned chakra into his hands. Then he threw the axe at Toya. It screamed through the air and hit the ninja directly on, sending him flying into the wall. The axe turned and flew back to Chouson, who caught it with one hand.

Chouji saw the attack and began to summon chakra once again. "This guy is good." He said to himself. He put his hands together and focused his chakra throughout his body.

"Body Expansion Jutsu!" Chouji yelled. He expanded quickly, becoming three times his normal size and equal to Chouson. Sakura watched from behind as Chouji took his new form. "Amazing. Now he can fight him evenly."

Chouson observed Chouji, now equal in size as him, and smiled. "What a fancy technique. You're even bigger than before."

Chouji charged once again. Chouson sheathed his axe and charged back. The two collided, causing the ground to almost shake. The two held each other hand in hand and began to grapple. The two were almost even. Chouji would lean and gain the advantage, only for Chouson to fight back and take the advantage for himself.

"I'm stronger than in my normal state." Chouji said. "Don't underestimate me."

Chouson smiled. "I never underestimated you. I still think you're going to lose." Chouson threw Chouji off of him and punched him directly in the stomach. Chouji hit the ground and slid backwards, his jutsu wearing off as he slid. By the time he stopped, Chouji was normal size again.

He stood up and wiped his clothes off. "Amazing. He is much stronger that Jirobo."

Before he could say anything else, Chouson was on him. He threw a punch into Chouji again, punch after punch. Chouji couldn't guard from the assault and took the beating. At last Chouson let up and Chouji hit the floor.

"Stupid kids." Chouson said.

Sakura stood alone against the giant Chouson. She began to step backwards from the awe of the giant demon. She knew she hadn't a chance against him, but she had to do something. Without thinking, she ran to Chouji and kneeled down beside him.

"I have to help…" she muttered. "Perhaps I can help him." She placed her hands on her fallen companion and began to summon chakra. She closed her eyes and began to send her healing powers through Chouji's body. Though she had only been practicing a few months, she had been catching on quick, or at least Tsunade had told her, and she felt she had to do something to help.

Chakra poured through Chouji. He began to light up as her abilities took effect. Chouson watched on from afar, curious about what was happening.

Chouji coughed and opened his eyes faintly. His head twitched. Chouson saw what was happening. "That fool." He mumbled. "I won't give her a chance." He began to walk toward Saukura and was unsheathing his axe.

Sakura noticed Chouson stumbling toward him and began to panic. She put her head down and gave all her efforts to heal the injured Chouji, but she wouldn't have enough time. Chouson was approaching faster by the second, his big body building up momentum. He raised his axe as he grew closer.

Then Toya appeared out of nowhere, darting towards the giant with a short dagger in his hand. He jammed it between Chouson's armor into his stomach, causing him to stumble and lose his breath.

"You…pest!" he said. He managed to catch his balance and shake Toya off of him. Toya landed on the ground. Sakura noticed that he was still badly injured and in no fighting shape. Whatever compelled him to stay on his feet was something far more than she could conceive.

Toya stood back up slowly and put his hands together. "I will show you guys…what I can do!"

"Sakura, I'm ok." Chouji said lightly. He sat up beside Sakura and watched as Toya began to make signs.

"What is he doing?" Sakura asked.

Chouji shrugged.

Toya continued to make signs and as spoke. "I will show you and the world that I am not useless! Shikamaru gave me a chance, and I will not let him down!"

Toya began to glow blue with his chakra. Chouson stood, his axe in hand, looking at the boy. "What is this?"

Toya smiled. "My Kekkei Genkai. I am the last of my clan, the sole-wielder of this skill."

He charged even more, now beginning to scream. Sakura began to run foreword, only to be stopped by Chouji.

"Let him go." Chouji said.

Toya's scream grew louder. Now it appeared as if the ninja was in pain. The earth around him began to crumble. Chakra coursed through Toya's veins as he screamed.

At last it stopped. Toya stood hunched over. All stood still, wondering what had happened. Everything appeared as before, only Toya was still glowing.

"What was that, kid?" Chouson asked. "You just wasted my time."

Toya began to stand up straight. He was smiling. "Not quite. You are all but dead now."

Chouson began a bellowing laugh. "Good one, kid." He held up his axe. "You've wasted my time long enough."

Toya still smiled. "Go ahead. Hit me, touch me, even. I dare you."

Chouson was still laughing. "What are you doing, brat? Stalling is pointless. No matter who comes to help you, they will wind up with the same fate as you."

"That charging I did wasn't useless. I infused every cell in my body with chakra."

Chouji and Sakura paused. "He did what?" Chouji asked.

"Every ounce of chakra has been infused into my atoms, making my entire body super sensitive. If anything touches me, the chakra will literally 'split' the atoms in my body, causing a massive explosion."

Chouson paused. "You're bluffing! Nobody is that stupid!"

Toya laughed. "I'm not stupid. This is the only way! I will destroy you, even though it will cost my life!"

"Toya, stop it! You can't do this!" Sakura yelled. Tears were in her eyes as Chouji held her back. Toya watched on as Sakura struggled to break free. He looked at Chouji, his eyes cold with remorse, but he only nodded back.

Toya nodded in return and closed his eyes. "Thank you guys for giving me a chance. I will always remember you." He turned back at Chouson. "It's time for you to go!"

He began to run toward Chouson, pride in his heart and tears in his eyes.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Sasuke blocked a blow that Kashaku sent toward him and launched another slice at his head. Kashaku easily blocked and the two blades hit, knocking each other back. They had been sword fighting for a few minutes now and Sasuke was already beginning to sweat. Kashaku was powerful despite his small physique. He was much tougher than Sasuke had first thought.

Sasuke put one hand over his mouth and another held his sword out in front of him. He took a deep breath inward.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled. The fire spewed across the battlefield, causing Kashaku to jump backwards. The flames began to die down quickly, turning everything back to normal. Sasuke put his hand down at the end and grabbed his sword with two hands. The blade now glowed bright red. He smiled and charged at Kashaku once again.

The demon blocked Sasuke's blow with this two daggars, but the sparks of fire emitted from the blow landed in his eyes, causing him to staggar backwards.

"Gotcha!" Sasuke yelled. He redirected his sword sideways and struck Kashaku in the stomach. Blood flew everywhere as the demon yelled and hit his back on the ground.

Sasuke stood up once more and smiled. Maybe he was easier than he had thought.

"Not bad, for a human." Kashaku said. He stood up and held his stomach where the cut was. Once he was on his feet, he removed his hands from this stomach, only there was not a trace of a sword cut.

"So you can heal?" Sasuke stated.

"More than heal. I can use your chakra to heal myself." He grinned. These are bloodswords. They can drain your energy and turn them into my chakra."

Sasuke stepped backwards, a frown on his face. If he could stead his chakra, he would have be more careful. This would be a battle of tactics instead of power.

His sword was beginning to cool off now, the red glow had begun to dim. "Perhaps this will be more fun than I thought." Sasuke smiled. "Don't forget. I'm just as evil as you."

Kashaku laughed. "I highly doubt that. After all, I'm a demon."

Sasuke prepared his sword for the next series of battles when an explosion came from their right. He paused along with Kashaku and examined what was going on.

Sakura stood in tears, Chouji a hard look on his face. To their left, a cloud of dust and smoke boomed out with a loud explosion. Sasuke watched intently as the smoke bellowed and began to clear. Where there was smoke, Chouson was laying on the ground unconscious.

"Toya!" Sakura screamed from afar. She fell to her knees with tears in her eyes. Chouji attempted to console her, but it was doing little good.

"Looks like one of your friends gave his life." Shimzai yelled. "So much good that did."

Sasuke turned around. "Shut up. Besides, they aren't my friends."

Kashaku laughed. "Doesn't matter. Shall we continue?"

Sasuke nodded. "What took you so long to say so?"

Then the two began to battle once more.

-----------------------------------------------------

Sakura was on her knees crying. Chouji stood beside her trying to lift her up.

"We can't spend all of our time here. We have to go help Sasuke."

Sakura stood up finally. Tears were still in her eyes, but she managed to nod her head. "Ok."

Together, the two stood up and began to walk over to where Sasuke and the other demon were fighting.

"Toya…I didn't know him that long, but he was a really good guy. He was our friend." Chouji said. "He did it because he wanted to save you. Don't be sad. It was his choice."

Sakura nodded again. "I know, but he was our ally. He didn't have to…."

A noise came from behind them. It was rumbling the ground below them. Chouji and Sakura turned around to see what was happening, although they both wished they hadn't. Right behind them was Chouson, his axe in hand and ready to strike.

"You think that would finish me? You must be joking."


	24. Mysterious Ally and the Kikan Boushi!

Chouson gripped his axe with both hands firmly and swung it downward towards Sakura and Chouji, the blow clearly a deadly one. He intended to rid himself of them once and for all. Chouji and Sakura could do nothing but watch in dismay as their life approached an end. Their friend had died to no avail and they were about to join him.

The blow stopped in mid-air. Chains were holding the axe still. Chakra was flowing through the chains, giving it power to stop Chouson's attack. Sakura followed the chains to their origin inside the hands of a mysterious figure.

"Get out of the way!" He yelled at the two ninja. Chouji obeyed and lifted Sakura and carried her away out of range.

Chouson roared and looked over to the mystery man. "More weaklings?" he yelled.

The man smiled. "I'm no weakling."

He was of medium height and wore silver and black robes. His undershirt held pockets all across it and chains were wrapped diagonally both ways across his shoulders. The chain he was using came from his arm directly out of his skin.

Chouson jerked on the chains attempting to free his weapon, but the chains would not break. At last he grew angry and, instead of attempting to free the axe, he sent it flying directly at the man, who barely managed to stop the counter by using his right arm to send chains decelerating the speed. He then sent the chain flying backwards and threw the axe away from Chouson.

"You're fight is with me now." he said. He looked over at Chouji and Sakura. "Go help Sasuke."

Sakura stood up. "How...do you know his name?"

The man smiled. "Classified information. Just do as I say. He can't die here."

Sakura and Chouji simply acknowledged the request and ran over to Sasuke. The man drew his chains back into his arms and stood staring at Chouson. The big demon began to walk towards him. "I'm getting tired of people trying to interfere with me. You will pay!"

He smiled again as his long cloak blew slightly from a draft made in the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "Shall we?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And that is what is going on here." Kirai said.

The group was amazed at what they had just heard. "You mean to tell me they are after Jinchuuriku?" Shikamaru said. "And these 'Genji'…you are one of them?"

Kirai nodded. "Sasuke is in trouble. As is this girl here, Konton, and Naruto. I am looking for all of you. We are here to protect the Jinchuuriku."

"And Sasuke is here?" Kakashi said. "I'm going to save him."

"You aren't going alone." Shikamaru said. "This Shimzai guy must be pretty strong, isn't that what you said, Temari?"

The sand Kunoichi nodded. "He and Blayne were even, at least from what I seen."

"And this Blayne is really that strong?"

"The strongest…" Gaara spoke. Everyone looked at him as he continued. "Blayne has powers and a chakra pool to as great of an extent as a Jinchuuriku. He is known in the Sand Village as 'The strongest man under Heaven.'"

Kirai nodded. "His is, what you would say, the leader of the Genji. Last I saw him was in our last meeting. We were all assigned a nearby Jinchuuriku to guard. He went to Naruto because he..."

"Because he what?" Temari asked.

"Disregard that last statement." Kirai said. "Either way, they are here and in trouble. We must go save them."

Everyone agreed. Kirai took the lead and, together, the group ran on to aid their allies.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Sasuke engaged another blow upon Kashaku, who blocked it once again and launched his own strike. Sasuke barely managed to avoid this one. Things weren't looking good for him. He was wearing out already and Kashaku was still going strong. It was almost he had infinite energy.

At last Sasuke slipped. He sent a blow directly for his head, which he dodged and sent his own strike at Sasuke's arm. It barely hit him, but it left a visible gash in his right arm. He dropped his sword and fell backwards. Kashaku stood still and smiled.

"Looks like I'm getting to you, Sasuke. You need more stamina."

Sasuke grinned as he held his arm. "Not quite. I haven't even begun to show my powers."

He closed his eyes and looked down at the ground for a second. Kashaku stared at him, trying to decipher what he was doing. Then Sasuke raised back up and opened his eyes and began to stare at Kashaku, he was smiling once more.

"Ah! The Sharingan…" Shimzai said from afar. "I thought you were trying to avoid it or something!"

"I really didn't want to embarrass you two any."

Kashaku sheathed his sword. "Now, it's time."

Shimzai nodded. "Yes, Kashaku, Now it is time."

Sasuke thought a moment about what they were speaking about, but the thought disappeared after a second. Whatever they were planning, it wasn't important. They would be dead before it would go through, and he would be gone.

Kashaku charged him, but Sasuke easily dodged. He continued the assault, striking carefully across Sasuke's body. Sasuke continued to avoid the attacks with ease, his Sharingan enhancing his ability and giving him the morale boost he needed.

Kashaku threw an uppercut at Sasuke, which he avoided easily. The failed attempt left Kashaku wide open, and Sasuke brought his leg around and struck him directly in the face. Kashaku flew to the side and hit the wall, causing dust and broken pieces of rock to fly everywhere. Sasuke stood his ground as the dust cleared. Where Kashaku had flown into the wall, nobody was there.

Sasuke's eyes went wide.

"Looking for me?" he heard from behind him.

It was too late. Kashaku threw another uppercut into Sasuke's back, sending him flying into the same place he thought his enemy had been earlier.

"You can't beat me, Sasuke."

Sasuke stood up slowly from the rubble and smiled. "That's what you think."

Kashaku smiled. "That is what I know. I was designed to fight you. My abilities are the same as yours."

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked.

"My abilities mirror yours, making me a perfect person to fight you. You have the Sharingan, I have these. They are called the Kikan Boushi."

"Kikan Boushi?"

"They, much like your Sharingan, can read your movements. I can also see how your chakra flows through your body. I know exactly where your attacks are coming from and when. You can't hit me."

"We will test that theory." Sasuke said.

Kashaku disappeared instantly. Sasuke went down in defensive stance, but Kashaku was already behind him. He sent a backhand into Sasuke, sending him flying across the floor the other way.

"I forgot to mention. These eyes allow me to teleport to any location I can see."

He disappeared again, moments later appearing in front of Sasuke. "Not even the Sharingan can defeat me."

Sasuke stood back up slowly. "What...are you?"

"I'm a demon. And you…are dead."

He grabbed his sword and began to unsheathe is again. Sasuke put his head down and his hands together. He quickly made signs and Kashaku began to ascend the sword upon his head.

Sasuke rose up and breathed in deeply. "Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!"

He flames caught Kashaku right in the face and he stumbled backwards, his sword in one and the other in his face. Sasuke immediately countered, he unsheathed his sword and sent it into Kashaku's stomach. He fell to the ground screaming as Sasuke fell in pain.

At last Kashaku had gotten rid of all the flames. He sat on the ground, both hands and knees on the floor and his head down. The sword was still stuck through his torso. He rose up to his knees and grabbed the hilt. He jerked the sword out as he gritted his teeth to keep from screaming, then he grabbed the sword with both hands and broke the blade.

"What…power!" Sasuke said to himself.

Kashaku stood up. The wound in his stomach was already healing.

"I told you…I cannot be beaten!" He teleported directly in front of Sasuke and leaned over immediately and grabbed the injured ninja by the throat. He held him high up in the air. Sasuke could do nothing but take the pain.

"It's over now." Shimzai said from the side. "Kashaku, carry him. We return."

"As you wish." He punched Sasuke in the stomach and knocked him out, then threw him over his shoulders and began to follow Shimzai.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Came a scream from behind.

Shimzai and Kashaku turned around.

"Body expansion Jutsu! Human Boulder technique!"

Chouji was flying towards the demon and his master. Chains of Kunai were strapped all around him.

"Stop him!" Shimzai yelled. Kashaku threw Sasuke behind him and braced himself to stop the blow.

Chouji his Kashaku head on. The initial force behind him caused Kashaku to fall backwards quickly, but the blow was eventually slowed. When he could push no further, Chouji halted and jumped backwards to stand beside Sakura.

"We won't let you take Sasuke…" She said solemnly.

Shimzai laughed. "This ought to be funny. Kashaku, please change their mind. They seem quite persistent."

"As you wish." Kashaku obediently answered again. His eyes gleamed in the light and he stared down Chouji and Sakura.


	25. Naruto Returns!

The mysterious man of chains jumped into the air to avoid a Chouson strike. The beast's hands were almost as big as his chest, and he was extremely fast. The man was would wear down, eventually, but the demon would not. He had to find a way to end this fast.

He landed back by the wall where the body of Toya had been thrown to and braced himself. He put his hands together in the form of the earth symbol. Chakra began to flow from him as chains came from the ground. They were giant; well over a foot thick. They broke the ground back and forth as they jumped and circled around Chouson and began to constrict around him.

"You won't be able to escape these chains." He said.

Chouson merely growled and struggled to break free. He was insanely strong and the man was having a hard time keeping him constricted. He tightened his hands together and put more energy into the chains.

"Just give up!" The man yelled as he binded Chouson even more. The beast screamed in pain as the chains began to burry themselves into his body. Still the man continued tightening his grip.

Then Chouson exploded in rage. The chains broke and the man flew backwards into the wall. The beast began to charge the man as he stood up quickly.

"Damn…"

He made more signs this time, his hands moving at the speed of light.

"Chain prison!"

This time a horde of hundreds of chains exploded from the ground and rushed the charging Chouson. Many of the chains hit Chouson head on, slowing down his charge. The rest of the chains swarmed him and closed in. The molded themselves into a giant ball.

"You can not escape. This is the end."

He squeezed his hands together and the chains imploded. Smoke flew everywhere and the building began to shake uncontrollably. The ceiling began to fall, along with the rest of the building.

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Kirai stopped when the noise began. Everyone stopped behind him hurriedly.

"What is going on?" Temari interjected.

"A building is falling down." Shikamaru replied.

"They are there…" Gaara said. "We must go there."

Everyone looked at Gaara, then Kirai, who merely shrugged. "Let's go there, then."

Everyone nodded and continued on through the city streets.

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Sakura jumped up from the pile of rubble that was once the empty warehouse they were fighting in. The sky was open now and the entire building a complete mess. Not one area was left standing. The last thing she remembered was a charging Kashaku before the quake happened. They were going to rescue Sasuke…

"Chouji!" She remembered. "Where are you?" She began to dig through the rubble.

"I'm over here." Came a voice from the rubble.

Sakura ran to the voice. Chouji was there, buried in rubble. Sakura raised her hand and punched the ground, causing the rubble to blast away from her fallen comrade. Chouji stood up and wiped off his clothes.

"What happened?" he asked.

Sakura shrugged. "Iuno. We were getting ready to fight and the entire building came crashing down."

"Sorry about that." Came a voice from behind them.

Sakura and Chouji turned suddenly. The mysterious man was sitting there on top of a large rock. He was bruised and dirty, but they could see him clearly in the moonlight. He was medium build and had average-length brown hair. He wore dark silver robes with the sleeves cut off and a large 'v' shape down the center.

"That was my new technique. I hadn't got to test it a lot, so I didn't know the effect would be that wide." He smiled.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked.

"My name is Kujo. I'm a member of Genji."

"Genji?" Chouji said questionably. "That is what the crazy old woman kept talking about. She said Genji was bad news."

Kujo laughed. "People tend to think that. They say trouble follows us wherever we go, but it's actually kinda the opposite. We follow the trouble. That's what I was doing here."

"So why were you helping us?" Sakura asked.

"Our objective was the trap Shimzai and take him out. He has been nothing but trouble for us. Now that he is a leader of _Eisei Fushi_, he's been even a bigger pain."

"I understand. So it looks like we all just stumbled on this."

"Meh..not exactly."

Chouji and Sakura looked at him questionably.

"That Sasuke. We lured him here to bring out Shimzai."

"You mean _Eisei Fushi_ wants Sasuke."

"They want a kid named Naruto. Sasuke was only the means to draw him there."

Sakura's eyes opened wide with surprise. "Naruto! He's here?"

"In the flesh. Now, I need to go after Shimzai."

The rubble blew up in the air like an explosion. The three looked over to the explosion immediately. From the blast, the menacing bodies of Shimzai and Kashaku appeared.

"It looks like you found me!" Shimzai said as he smiled. "You must be my replacement, I take it?"

"The one and only. I'm glad you decided to show up. Now I don't have to run so far to kill you."

Shimzai laughed. "Why do you think you stand a chance? You were my replacement, remember?"

"Just shut up and fight me." Kujo said.

Shimzai put Sasuke down on the ground. "Kashaku. Take care of those pests while I handle this Genji."

"As you wish." He said. His eyes flashed in the moonlight, making him look frightening.

Shimzai placed the injured Sasuke down and stood upright again. "Make it fast."

Kashaku charged Chouji and Sakura, his sword coming out fast and getting ready for the kill. Chouji braced himself for the upcoming attack, Sakura behind him, ready to defend herself.

Suddenly Kashaku fell backwards and his the ground sliding. Kujo and Shimzai looked on as a flash of light broke over the entire area.

"What is going on here?" Shimzai asked.

"Those eyes are powerful indeed, but they have nothing against mine."

Sakura and Chouji opened their eyes. In front of them Stood Neji Hyuga standing in attack stance, ready to counter any move Kashaku made.

"Byakugan?" Kashaku said. "Damn!"

Kujo stood up beside Neji. "I see you are an ally. You handle this thing. I'll take Shimzai…"

"Understood." Neji said.

Shimzai laughed. "You fools think one Leaf ninja can make a difference?"

"How about two!" Shouted someone from behind him.

Naruto jumped out from behind. Shimzai turned, but he was too late. Naruto sent a kick directly into his back, sending him flying into the ground.

"Don't even THINK you're getting away with Sasuke! I refuse!"

" Naruto!" Sakura said. "You're alive!"

Shimzai stood up and looked around. He was surrounded. Naruto on once side, Kujo and Neji to the other. "You guys are more clever than I gave you credit for. It's time we stop playing around."

He jumped backwards and landed away from the group. "Now, Genji, fight me!"

"Let me take him!" Naruto said.

"No. They want you. You should escape now. Stay on your guard and back me up. I'll handle him. Blayne would be upset if I put you in danger."

"Blayne?" Naruto asked. "Is he still here?"

"On the way. Now just hold out until he arrives."

Kujo took a step foreward and stared Shimzai right in the eyes. "Are you ready?"

Shimzai laughed. "Don't talk back to your elders. It's impolite."

Without another work, Kujo charged.


	26. Farewell to Arms, Return to Home

However, Shimzai merely dodged the blow and began to retreat down an alley past the rubble. "I really don't have time to play with you now, Genji. I must take my leave." He ran on out of sight. Kujo punched the ground. "Not this time!" He yelled as he began to follow Shimzai into the alley.

Kashaku lay dead now. Already tired from his fight with Sasuke, Naruto and Neji quickly dealt with him and they now watched on as Kujo escaped from their sight. Behind them, Sakura and Chouji ran over to Sasuke , still laying unconscious where Shimzai had put him , his body lying still, but still breathing. Naruto finally turned around. "Sasuke!" He ran over to Sasuke's body and kneeled beside it. "I finally found you.."

Sakura placed her hands over his body and chakra began to radiate from her palms as the healing Jutsu began to take effect. "He is hurt pretty bad, but nothing is injured. He should be OK."

Naruto sighed. "That's good..hey, wait. What are you doing here, anyways!?"

"We heard you were here, so we came looking for you. The village has been taken over by a strange company. People have been taken prisoner, even the Hokage. Me, Shikamaru, Chouji, and a kid we found named Toya all came here. Toya...he died in this building fighting with us."

Naruto's head went down. "I'm sorry." His mind began to flood with thoughts. _People are dying for me? People are fighting over me?_ He couldn't believe it. Why would so many people kill just for him? He didn't even have to ask, however. He knew why. It was this damn Jinjuuriku inside of him. This beast. People wanted it. He was cursed with it and people wanted to take it from him. Perhaps he should just give it up, then? It would save so much trouble for everybody if he did. But he knew he couldn't do that. Then people would just come looking for him, and more would die. This boy he didn't even know died fighting for him.

"Hey everybody!!" came a shout from behind them. Naruto, Neji, and Sakura looked over to see Shikamaru with a group of others closely behind him. Konton, Gaara, Tenten, Konkuro, Kakashi, Kirai, and Lee all ran through the rubble to the rest of the group.

"Wow. All of you guys are here? This is crazy. I thought this was a private mission." Naruto said.

"Well, we weren't exactly here for a vacation." Shikamaru said. "After the village got attacked, I suppose we all came south. It was merely coincidence that we all ended up here."

Then the entire group heard and large clash and a huge explosion began to emit from where Kujo had just ran off after Shimzai. "I knew I should have followed!" Naruto said as he began to take off. Before anybody could catch him he was off and flying towards the danger. "Where the hell does he think he's going?" Sakura said. "Those guys were way out of our league."

"You know Naruto." Kakashi said. He stepped foreward. "We can't stay here. Kirai, will you be wanting us to come with you?"

"That would be very helpful if you would." Kirai commented.

"Then you guys get out of town and set up camp. I will go find Naruto and get out of here as soon as I do. I will met up with you later." Without another word Kakashi began to follow Naruto into the darkness, leaving the rest of the group behind.

At last, Sasuke began coughing uncontrollably and his eyes flared open. He looked around for a second to gain his senses. When he saw exactly where he was, he jumped up and looked around some more. "What happened here?"

"You were knocked out by those demons and saved by a man named Kujo. He's off fighting Shimzai now, or at least was. Naruto and Kakashi are after them now." Sakura told him. "How are you feeling?"

"Good enough." He picked up his sword and sheathed it once again. "I suppose I should thank you for healing me, but I must be on my way."

Kirai stepped foreward, his towering figure intimidating to many. "I really think you should stay with us. They will come looking for you again. If you are alone, you will surely die."

"Die? You really don't know me. I need to go figure out some things for myself." Sasuke replied.

"About that demon inside of your body? About Raidon? It exists very clearly. You don't have to run looking for answers about it." Kirai said.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he turned back to look at Kirai. "Like I said. You know nothing about me. I will find those answers my own way." He turned back around. "Thanks, Sakura. Tell Naruto I said hi." He jumped over the building and ran away. Sakura watched him leave, a tear forming in her eye.

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Naruto arrived at the scene to find Kujo's body lying unconscious on the ground in an alley between two large buildings. He ran over quickly and looked around, searching franticly for Shimzai. He wasn't even sure if he stood a chance against this guy. He hadn't fought him, but he was strong, he knew. His summons took Sasuke out. Perhaps he had overreacted, but he couldn't just stand still and do nothing. That wasn't his nature, his ninja way. No, he would fight til the end, even if his end wasn't as wonderful as it should be.

"Don't run off like that." Came a voice from behind him. Naruto looked around to find Kakashi closing space between them. "You are lucky he isn't here, whoever he is."

"Do you know anything about all of this, Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi merely shrugged. "Nope. It appears it's these Genji who know all about what is going on here. The Leaf was taken over, which is why those of us who ARE here to be here."

"Perhaps I can help you guys out." Naruto froze. He knew exactly who said those words.

Shimzai stood atop one of the buildings in front of them. In his hand was Sasuke, unconscious. "I found this guy trying to run away. He must not like you guys very much to run away from you all."

"LET HIM GO!" Naruto screamed at him. "Give us Sasuke back now!"

Shimzai laughed. "Nah. I'll keep him for myself. That's three down!! Just you and the girl left!"

"So they already have 3 of their targets..." Kakashi said quietly.

"We are the _Eisei Fushi_. Our goal is eternal life. By gathering these demons, we can implant ourselves with the cells of these demons and grant ourselves the ultimate power! Once we get all 5, we can summon the ultimate demon and his cells will grant us immortality! But now I really must be going back to my new temple. I believe you know exactly where it's at. Your very home has now become my sanctuary!" Shimzai laughed a wicked laugh and, before Naruto or Kakashi could say anything, flew off into the darkness.

----------------------------------------------------

Kirai led the large group out of town and through the large fields into a small patch of woods on the south side of town. There, they sat up camp and a fire. It was early in the morning already. There was little talk as everybody was exhausted and in need for sleep, so most everybody simply sat up their makeshift beds and went straight to bed around the fire. Kirai stood watch until daylight, when Kakashi and Naruto came in. Kakashi was carrying Kujo, who had still not woke up. His injuries were not grave, but enough to keep him resting for a day or so.

"Did you learn anything?" Kirai asked Kakashi.

"Yes we did. _Eisei Fushi _was behind Konoha's capture. Shimzai is going there now."

"I thought as much. They are finally expanding. This means they think they have enough power to forcibly take Naruto and Konton now. This is not good."

"What do we do?" Naruto asked. "We have to go rescue Sasuke and Tsunade."

"Naruto is right." Kakashi replied. "We can't leave them there. Shimzai seems crazy. He might do something to them if we don't hurry."

Shimzai nodded. "Yes, but if they are aggressively expanding, they must be leaving weaknesses. Plus, we don't know where Blayne is. He never came back." Conversation drifted for a second. "Well, let's get to bed. I will wake somebody for watch. You guys could use some rest as well."

They all nodded, and each of them went off to bed.

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Blayne woke up in and sat up. He was in a bed. Kujo's bed. He remembered passing out on the way to Naruto and Neji, but how he had gotten here was the question. Without talking he inspected his wounds. They were gone. Completely. Whoever had done this was skilled in healing. He stood up and looked around the room. The door in the far corner of the room opened to a woman of senior age. She was wrinkled, but warm in her smile.

"You are awake." She said.

"I suppose I am.." He muttered. "Who brought me here?"

"She did." The woman pointed down the stairs as another women, this one much younger and very attractive, walked up the stairs and smiled at Blayne.

"You looked rough, boss. Found you lying in an alley. Brought you here to Kujo's house."

Blayne smiled. "What are you doing here, Lilly?"

"Same reason you are here. My target came here. She escaped Eisei Fushi and ran into YOUR target before I could even pull a rescue operation to save her. Talented young girl."

"Yes, all of them are talented, that's for sure." He walked over and shook Lilly's hand. "Are they all ok?"

"They are all still alive. I can feel their presences pretty good, though they are resting outside of town. The police are after every one of you guys. We should leave too."

"Sounds good. I know exactly where to go." Blayne replied.

"That being?"

Blayne gave the older woman a hug. "Thanks granny."

The woman smiled. "Just take care of my son."

"Sure thing!" Blaye walked down the stairs and looked back up at Lilly. "Were off to talk to a friend of mine."

"You have friends?" She smiled in response to her own comment.

"Yes, I have friends. I used to belong to the Leaf Village, as well."

"You have belonged to everybody. You must be old."

"Shut up."

Lilly Smiled. "Ok. So who is the friend?"

He was a friend of mine when I was in the leaf. He's now a renegade like me. His group might have some info on _Eisei Fushi. _His name is Itachi."


End file.
